China Tibetan magnetic rocket launcher will look like Huangdicun Airbase test launcher

China has been claiming it will adapt its aircraft carrier electromagnetic launch systems as rocket range extenders for systems placed on high plateaus in Tibet. China has claimed to have made progress on the electronics and power systems for aircraft carrier magnetic launchers. A Chinese land-based version of an aircraft carrier magnetic launcher already exists …

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Robert Zubrin has new propellantless space propulsion concept – Dipole Drive

Robert Zubrin was an inventor of the magnetic sail with Dana Andrews when they looked at the drag of a magnetic scoop intended for a Bussard ramjet. The magnetic sail would be great for a lighter braking mechanism for interstellar laser pushed vehicles. Robert also was a reviewer for the electric sail paper. It also …

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Cost efficient ET3 Vacuum tube trains will be better than Hyperloop, cars, trains and planes

Closing the infrastructure gap before the year 2050 by strengthening existing infrastructure with ET3 is entirely feasible and it can be achieved in three coordinated phases: 1) bringing ET3 to maturity, including full-scale commercial deployment (2-5 years); 2) expanding ET3 networks around the globe at national levels (30 years); 3) connecting national ET3 networks into …

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China starting construction of supercarrier with electromagnetic launch but using older heavier fighter jets

The weight of China’s J15 fighter is one of the key reasons China will use an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on China’s third carrier. Construction of the third carrier is expected to start next year and will use electromagnetic launch rather than steam-powered catapults. The carrier is expected to have 80,000 ton displacement which …

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Theoretical Research on Magnetic Sails for stopping interstellar probes at other stars

Research in interstellar travel technologies has seen a paradigm change over the last few years. Early concept studies, like Project Orion and the Daedalus project, envisioned gigantic fusion based starships. The perspective changed however when efforts to develop miniaturized satellites, i.e. waferSats, were expanded to designs of spacecraft-on-the-chip probes suitable for deep space exploration. Low …

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Mark Skilton of Warwick Business School provides answers to Nextbigfuture on the Microsoft purchase of Linkedin

Mark Skilton, of Warwick Business School, is a Professor of Practice in the Information Systems and Management Group and researches technology ecosystems around defining value and monetization. He is the author of Building digital ecosystem architectures and Building the digital enterprise. Mark provides expert commentary on the Microsoft purchase of Linkedin. Professor Mark Skilton said: …

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New device could improve cancer detection

A new University of British Columbia-developed method to isolate cancer cells that have escaped from a tumour could soon pave the way for improved diagnosis and treatment. The simple process involves a special device that squeezes cells in a blood sample through tiny funnels, which drive the cancer cells and blood cells into separate streams …

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China using air pollution to reduce the effectiveness of enemy combat lasers

The presence of microscopic particles in the air causes lasers to lose their intensity. Lasers naturally lose intensity over distance due to particulates in the air, a problem that grows much worse if a laser tries to penetrate a cloud, rain, fog, or man-made smoke. According to this article, China’s PLA is now working to …

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