An in-depth survey of the various technologies for spaceship propulsion, both from those we can expect to see in a few years and those at the edge of theoretical science. We'll break them down to basics and familiarize ourselves with the concepts.
Note: I made a rather large math error about the Force per Power the EmDrive exerts at 32:10, initial tentative results for thrust are a good deal higher than I calculated compared to a flashlight
Watch the video version:
https://youtu.be/wXiitWK_6Qg

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https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/

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http://www.isaacarthur.net

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https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur

Cover Art by Jakub Grygier:
https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by:
Dexter Britain
"Seeing the Future"
Frank Dorittke
"Morninglight"
Dexter Britain
"After The Week I've Had"
Chris Zabriskie
“Mario Bava sleeps in a little later than he expected to”
Kvazar
"Koalips"
Kai Engel
"Snowfall"
Kevin MacLeod
“Spacial Winds”
Phase Shift
“Forest Night”
Brandon Liew
"Into the Storm"

The Spaceship Propulsion Compendium

In this episode we begin our look at possible Alien Civilizations by considering the impossible ones. Fiction has introduced a lot of misconceptions about aliens we need to clear away before we can seriously consider them and that begins by looking at some of the common ideas and removing any that rely on the concept of advanced civilization being quite stupid.

Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/yXWe8g0zziw

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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by: Intro/Outro: Martin Rezny "Lifelight" Alessandro 'Aleks' Fadini "First Contact" Dexter Britain “Seeing the Future” Koalips “Kvazar” Kai Engel “Endless Story about Sun and Moon” Kevin MacLeod “Spacial Winds”

Stupid Aliens

We continue our look at hypothetical alien civilizations by discussing the various possible circumstances in which we might first contact them or be contacted by them. 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/igZi4iyJiq0

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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by:
Intro/Outro:
Martin Rezny
"Lifelight"
Alessandro 'Aleks' Fadini
"First Contact"
Kai Engel
"December"
Frank Dorittke
“Morninglight”
Kai Engel
“Endless Story about Sun and Moon”
Koalips
“Kvazar”
Chris Zabriskie
“Mario Bava sleeps in a little later than he expected to”
Kevin MacLeod
“Spacial Winds”
Phase Shift
"Forest Night"

First Contact

In this episode we continue our look at possible Alien Civilizations by attempting to peer into the alien psyche. In the absence of any actual ones to examine we will review fictional examples and try to match those up against both human behavior and what we might consider likely, unlikely, or impossible to arise from evolutionary processes.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/IVIzcMF2Kc4

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by:
Martin Rezny
"Lifelight"
Alessandro 'Aleks' Fadini
"First Contact"
Kai Engel
“Endless Story about Sun and Moon”
Frank Dorittke
“Morninglight”
Chris Zabriskie
“Mario Bava sleeps in a little later than he expected to”
Kevin MacLeod
“Spacial Winds”

Crazy Aliens

The first installment in a new series discussing alternative means of getting in space, from better rockets to massive structures like Space Elevators, Skyhooks, and Launch Loops.

Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/JgxkilF5XUM

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by
Intro/Outro:
Sergey Cheremisinov
"Sirius"
Kai Engel
"Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips
"Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke
"Morninglight"
Kevin MacLeod
"Spacial Winds"

Upward Bound: Getting into Space

In this episode we examine the concept of a Space Elevator, a popular piece of developing technology designed to lift people and cargo into space at a fraction of normal launch costs. We will look at technology as well as many of the misconceptions about Space Elevators which have emerged.

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/dc8_AuzeYKE

"The physics of the space elevator", P. K. Aravind:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d402/ba5f97884b7398ae2a1ff79136f9c1a03993.pdf

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Listen or Download the audio of this episode from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/isaac-arthur-148927746/upward-bound-space-elevators
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by
Intro/Outro:
Sergey Cheremisinov
"Sirius"
Kai Engel
"Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips
"Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke
"Morninglight"
Kevin MacLeod
"Spacial Winds"
Lombus
"Amino"
Cory Gray
"Technological 1"

Upward Bound: Space Elevators

In this episode we explore Quantum Computers, from the basic theory to the potential applications, as well as many myths and misconceptions this groundbreaking technology has accumulated.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/wgCuKTN8sX0

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
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Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier


Music by
Dexter Britain, "Seeing the Future"
Kai Engel, "December"
Lombus, "Hydrogen Sonata"
Koalips, "Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke, "Morninglight"
Brandon Liew, "Into the Storm"

Quantum Computing

In this episode we examine the Skyhooks and Rotovators, technology designed to lift grab spaceplanes or rockets at far slower speeds than normal and lift them into space at a fraction of normal launch costs. 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/TlpFzn_Y-F0

Boeing's "Hypersonic Airplane Space Tether Orbital Launch -- HASTOL":
http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/library/meetings/annual/jun01/391Grant.pdf

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
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Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by:
Intro/Outro:
Sergey Cheremisinov
"Sirius"
Kai Engel
"Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips
"Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke
"Morninglight"
Kevin MacLeod
"Spacial Winds"
Lombus
"Amino"

Upward Bound: Skyhooks

This episode feature Mass Drivers, Space Guns, and other means of rapidly accelerating a spaceship up to orbital speeds without a rocket. We will explore the basic concepts, the engineering issues, and the potential cost & safety advantages & disadvantages along with how these devices can be used in tandem with other systems we have looked at.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/KerG4ILWEa4

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips, "Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke, "Morninglight"
Kai Engel, "December"
Kevin MacLeod, "Spacial Winds"
Lombus, "Amino"

Mass Drivers

In this episode we'll be looking at improvements to rocket systems, with the main focus on re-usability. We will also look a bit deeper at rocketry principles, at some other improvements and alternative uses for rockets, such as oceanic launches, and discuss Metallic Hydrogen, a potential game changing fuel.

Watch the  video version: https://youtu.be/WPh2jUKTKCA

Isaac Silvera papers
2010 Metallic Hydrogen basic theory paper
https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/9569212/Silvera_Metallic.pdf?sequence=2
2011 NASA Phase 1 Final Report:
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Silvera_FinalReport.pdf
2017 Harvard Gazette interview with Silvera:
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/01/a-breakthrough-in-high-pressure-physics/

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Listen or Download the audio of this episode from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/isaac-arthur-148927746/dead-aliens
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by
Intro/Outro:
Sergey Cheremisinov
"Sirius"
Kai Engel
"Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips
"Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke
"Morninglight"
Kai Engel
"December"
Kevin MacLeod
"Spacial Winds"
Lombus
"Amino"

Reusable Rockets

While potentially dangerous, nuclear powered spacecraft offer far faster and more efficient spacecraft than traditional chemical rockets. Today we will examine the various means of using atomic power sources to propel spacecraft, bot to get off Earth and to travel to other stars.

See the video version: https://youtu.be/3aBOhC1c6m8

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net
Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
Visit the sub-reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier

Music by:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips, "Kvazar"
Frank Dorittke, "Morninglight"
Kai Engel, "December"
Kevin MacLeod, "Spacial Winds"
Lombus, "Amino"

Upward Bound: Getting into Space

Isaac Arthur