• Question: where would you send the rocket if you can gey it to work.

    Asked by danrgw to Charlie on 20 Mar 2011.
    • Photo: Charlie Ryan

      Charlie Ryan answered on 20 Mar 2011:


      hi danrgw i like the way you seem unsure whether the mini rocket will work!! Thanks for your confidence in my research!!!
      Actually you do have a point (did i say so in a livechat??) – the rocket (its called a colloid ion thruster) is a bit unreliable. The main problem is that it is so small that it is difficult to manufacture well – the nozzle (exist) of the rocket is 10 millionths of a metre (thats one hundreds of a mm!).
      If it does work (I’m sure it will eventually!) then this rocket is perfect for moving small spacecraft around in orbit. this means you can really control the spacecraft, and tell it where to point at to look at a certain point on the earths surface or at a particular star. Also the rocket would be pretty good for sending a tiny shoebox sized spacecraft to the moon, or maybe an asteroid or even mars!! That would be cool!

Comments