Basic data about our spacecraft:
Basically were using a laser as an engine.
- Mass: 1000 Tons
- Electrical Power for the laser: 10 GW
- Efficiency of the laser(s) : 50%
So first I calculated the kinetic energy the laser would give to the ship:
E = P * t * Le | P = electrical power , t = time , Le = laser efficiency (0.5)
Then based of that i calculatecd velocity:
v = sqrt(E/(m/2))
If these calculations are correct , a 1000 Ton ship , will reach 6000 m/s after 1h of acceleration using that engine.
The 10GW could be generated by a fusion reactor e.g.
The reasons why i wouldnt use the fusion reactor directly as an engine is 1. the nuclear waste it produces , so we couldnt use it around earth. 2. the exhaust velocity isnt c , the max top speed will be lower than 99.9c
My question is , if 1. my calculations are correct , and 2nd if my assumption using the nuclear reactor as an engine directly will result in a lower top speed.
And is this engine a good option for reaching relativistic speeds?