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.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

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

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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 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

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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"
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

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Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur
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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/

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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

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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"

The Nuclear Option

The Launch Loop is a type of space vehicle launch assist mechanism that allows us to transfer vast amounts of energy and  momentum from ground based generators to a launch vehicle high in the upper atmosphere.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/J1MAg0UAAHg

View Lofstrom's 2009 updated paper:
http://slides.launchloop.com//launchloop.pdf

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

Graphics Team:
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Misho Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Sergio Botero
Stefan Blandin


Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Music:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips, "Kvazar"
Markus Junnikkala, "A Memory of Earth"
Dan McLeod, NeptuneUK, "Mysterious Universe"

Launch Loops

Today we look at using Space Towers, Buoyant Structures, Airships, and Space Fountains as means of launching spaceships, as well as their other applications to create enormous structures that normal materials could never permit.

Watch the video version at: https://youtu.be/5QLOAQmZbZs

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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

Graphics Team:
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Misho Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Sergio Botero
Stefan Blandin

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Music:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips, "Kvazar"
Markus Junnikkala, "A Memory of Earth"
Dan McLeod, NeptuneUK, "Mysterious Universe"

Space Towers

The Orbital Ring is a type of launch-assist system that goes beyond moving small ships and crews into space and allows cheap movement of bulk cargo up to space, into orbit, and beyond.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/LMbI6sk-62E

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

Graphics Team:
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Misho Yordanov
Murat Mamkegh
Pierre Demet
Sergio Botero
Stefan Blandin

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu
Connor Hogan
Edward Nardella
Eustratius Graham
Gregory Leal
Jefferson Eagley
Luca de Rosa
Michael Gusevsky
Mitch Armstrong
MolbOrg
Naomi Kern
Philip Baldock
Sigmund Kopperud
Steve Cardon
Tiffany Penner

Music:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius"
Kai Engel, "Endless Story about Sun and Moon"
Koalips, "Kvazar"
Markus Junnikkala, "A Memory of Earth"
Dan McLeod, NeptuneUK, "Mysterious Universe"
AJ Prasad, "Staring Through"

Orbital Rings

Episode 144: Power Satellites - How transmitting power down from space may be our future.
Visit our sponsor: https://skl.sh/isaac2
Beaming energy down from satellites in orbit to replace the production of electricity on Earth may solve many of our problems, and avoid a potential economic or ecological crisis such as energy bottlenecks or global warming. Today we will explore how wireless microwave transmission of energy down to rectennas may not only be possible, but could be massively profitable in the near future and spur our exploration and colonization of space.

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Credits:
Power Satellites
Episode 144, Season 4 E30

Writers:
Isaac Arthur
Mark Warburton

Editors:
A.T. Long
Keith Blockus
Matthew Acker
Steve Nixon

Producer:
Isaac Arthur

Cover Artist:
Jakub Grygier https://www.artstation.com/jakub_grygier

Graphics Team: 
Jarred Eagley
Katie Byrne
Kris Holland (Mafic Studios) www.maficstudios.com
Sergio Botero https://www.artstation.com/sboterod?fref=gc

Narrator:
Isaac Arthur

Music:
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Sirius" https://www.s-cheremisinov.com
Miguel Johnson, "So Many Stars" https://soundcloud.com/migueljohnsonmjmusic
Aerium, "Fifth Star of Aldebaran" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRnUJY3l5vIJFGsY3XvW4dQ
Sergey Cheremisinov, "Labyrinth" https://www.s-cheremisinov.com
A.J. Prasad, "Cold Shadow" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA8-7qwaEPU
Markus Junnikkala, "A Memory of Earth" https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Upward Bound: Skyhooks

Isaac Arthur

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