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ComfortableIntern218 OP t1_jccgchn wrote

Reply to comment by Southern-Trip-1102 in IVO Ltd. to Launch Quantum Drive Pure Electric Satellite Thruster into Orbit on SpaceX Transporter 8 with partner Rogue Space Systems by ComfortableIntern218

I'm more concerned with the data. It will either work or it will not. Everyone was critical of SpaceX before they did what they had done. I see no reason to either doubt or believe a company until I have been given a reason to do so.

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jusdisgi t1_jcqccu8 wrote

Well I wouldn't express certainty about it. But you seem to suggest equal aversion to doubt and belief, which I don't think is really right either. Is it possible that this company has created a really remarkable new drive type that somehow needs no fuel but isn't just a solar sail? I suppose so? But it's far enough outside our understanding of the related physics that it requires some explantion. The sheer novelty of their claim, added to their complete unwillingness to say anything at all about how it works should make us pretty darn skeptical.

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ComfortableIntern218 OP t1_jcr1s3b wrote

I am skeptical. I see they had an announcement a year ago and offered demos to companies. I would bet that's how they have a launch partner. It is also not surprising that a company with possibly revolutionary tech keeps quiet about how it does what it does it the public space.

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jusdisgi t1_jcs84mu wrote

>It is also not surprising that a company with possibly revolutionary tech keeps quiet about how it does what it does it the public space.

The normal approach to that is patenting the technology, which requires explaining exactly how it works. If it's the real deal the secrecy approach might work for us regular folks but isn't likely to keep the likes of ULA or Spacex from figuring it out for long. So I don't think that's really a good explanation.

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ComfortableIntern218 OP t1_jcsvsq8 wrote

The video on YouTube says it is patent pending, so it is, in fact, a very good explanation. I said it is not surprising that they keep it quiet in the public space, and that is exactly what they seem to be doing. What we know is that they have a patent pending propulsion technology that clearly provided enough data to convince another company to partner with them and send up a satellite with their propulsion on a multi-million dollar rocket launch. They clearly have something more than a simple bold claim. It may not work in space, but it also may.

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lumpenpr0le t1_je2a736 wrote

People who knew the technology thought Space X wasn't an engineering problem that would be financially worth it to solve. That jury is still out on that.

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This would really change modern physics which would be a hell of a lot more unlikely. I'm not saying it won't work, I just think it's a way different situation.

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ComfortableIntern218 OP t1_je2de0c wrote

The jury is not out on SpaceX and the problems they are solving. Affordable launch platforms are the limitation of the space industry. What they have achieved already has opened up the door for many companies that do not have the budgets of the large companies and governments. The hearings on SpaceX had little to do with the budgets proposed. Former astronauts referred to it as unethical and said SpaceX would kill people. We also were completely reliant on Russian launch platforms before SpaceX was successful. Now, 99% of the industry uses Falcon 9. It was 100% worth it to solve the problems they did, and they have advanced the space industry because of it.

I agree with the physics point. I am just happy to see someone actually taking risks in the name of science.

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