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A flea weighs approximately 1 milligram and jumps at a speed of about 1.9 metres
per second.
Thus if 1 flea jumps from a surface per second, a force of approximately 1.9
micronewtons results.
If about 260,000 fleas jump per second, collectively they will provide about half a
newton of thrust
- comparable to the ion thrusters which NASA is currently
researching.
So, this spacecraft consists of a rear plate from which fleas are encouraged to jump
into the vacuum of space, propelling the craft on its journey.
Thrust specific fuel consumption for various engine types
https://en.wikipedi...ic_fuel_consumption
[Voice, Jan 06 2018]
[link]
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Not as completely ludicrous as the title suggests.
But still quite so. |
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Output = 260 killer flees |
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According to fleascience.com an unfed flea weighs .45 mg. 260 000 fleas should weigh 117 grams. |
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There seems to be no research whatsoever on whether a flea can survive in the vacuum of space. This is a serious oversight. |
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//whether a flea can survive in the vacuum of space// |
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I suppose this idea does present a risk that we may one day make it
to a habitable planet only to find that it's already thoroughly infested
by fleas that made it there years in advance. |
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You're going to get a lot more reaction force from the same mass of LiDeT ... |
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