this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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After setting foot on the Moon, the next destination for humankind is Mars, which presents a whole new set of challenges in speedy, long-distance space travel.

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[–] anonionfinelyminced@kbin.social 158 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It's a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine"

What makes the RDRE so revolutionary is that it makes use of a sustained detonation circling around a ring-shaped channel, fed by a mix of fuel and oxygen which is ignited by each passing explosion.
Crucially, the RDRE uses less propellant fuel than conventional rocket engines, and is simpler in terms of its machinery and mechanisms. That means going into space becomes cheaper, and traveling further distances becomes possible.

Saved you a click.

[–] ramjambamalam@lemmy.ca 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

NASA invented a space ship powered by a rotary engine? Noice, at least until the apex seals give out, but they should be good for 80k at least.

[–] RangerAndTheCat@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wankel and Mazda shine blessings upon you and your RX family

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

The wankel and rdre aren't really related, but they're similar in that they're both oddball engines with surprising performance.

Of all of my near future rocket engine predictions, a working aerospike rdre was not on my list... I'm honestly very impressed!

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

Thank you I was running low on clicks.

[–] Donebrach@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

So it’s truthfully Revolutionary, hark! A spinning engine

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So they invented the rocket powered wheel?

[–] Morphit@feddit.uk 25 points 1 year ago

Revolutionary

I see what they did there.

[–] Nighed@sffa.community 20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

This is a fancy aerospike engine right? The rotating detinations gives it higher chamber pressure and therefore better ISP or something?

I will look for the Scott Manley video on this later (I think it was him?) Edit: also a Real Engineering one that explains the aero-spike nozzle

Anyone have the ISP of this experiment to compare to other engines?

You know what gets even better ISP? NERVA

[–] Ejh3k@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I remember first hearing about the development of this back in the early 90s on Beyond 2000.

[–] Desistance@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I heard that the destination is actually Venus because it's closer and has oxygen in the upper atmosphere.

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Venus is significantly more hostile than Mars, so while we definitely want to do more with Venus, Luna and Mars are clear next-ups for manned landings.

While all of Mars is hostile to human life, Venus is also incredibly hostile to equipment, and thus requires a different approach to even unmanned launches.

Current maximum lifetime for any unmanned craft in the Venusian atmosphere (to say nothing of the ground) is only about 2 hours.

[–] danielbln@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Isn't that on the surface? I believe Venus's upper atmosphere is a lot more welcoming.

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's true about their upper atmosphere, but we're nowhere close to being able to capitalize on it (as in, no missions even planned). Closest we've got on paper is an orbiter by the early 30s.

Hopefully in my lifetime we see an upper atmosphere balloon or something. That alone would be unbelievably cool.

[–] TIMMAY@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

give me a hot air balloon and a hang glider and send me out Ill be the pioneer

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Dude what's neat about this is Oxygen on Venus is like Helium on Earth (less dense than most of the atmosphere, so rises naturally) so your balloon doesn't even need to be hot, just really sturdy.

[–] c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Theres oxygen on Venus like there's argon on earth, it's so miniscule it's useless.

[–] BlackSkinnedJew@lemmynsfw.com -2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Correction: Get the rich fast to mars.

[–] iammike@programming.dev 4 points 1 year ago

If they're leaving them there, I'd be all for it

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

NASA plans to have a manned mission to Mars in the next 6 years.