Difference between revisions of "Reaction Drive"
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| − | The term | + | The term [[Reaction Drive]] can refer to a number of distinctly different drive systems. In the strict sense, a ''Reaction Drive'' is any drive system leveraging ''Newton's Third Law of Motion'', namely that ''"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"'', and thus produces motion for a vessel along a given momentum vector by imparting to some other body, bodies, or total amount of matter/mass-energy an equal magnitude of momentum along a vector directly antiparallel to the vessel's acquired momentum vector. The term is most commonly used to refer to the many varied forms of Rocket Motor which carry some form of "Reaction Mass" aboard as "propellant" that is expelled from the vessel via the Rocket Motor's operative mechanism in the opposite direction of motion to which the vessel wishes to travel. |
| − | * Use the following list to determine | + | |
| + | But a [[Rocket|Reaction Rocket Motor]] carrying onboard propellant as reaction mass is not the only means of creating an action-reaction interaction. ''"Propellantless"'' Reaction Drives such as '''''[[Field Propulsion Drive]]s''''' which interact with and transfer momentum between masses and bodies via charge and force-field interactions are also engaging in action-reaction coupling, and are thus Reaction Drives. The majority of the modern [[Gravitics|Gravitic]] [[Maneuver Drive]] systems fall into this category, as they interact with gravitic pseudo-gravity fields that couple to mass and matter: the gravitic-based drive gains momentum at the expense of one or more gravitating bodies' angular and linear momentum within a star system. | ||
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| + | '''''External Propulsion Systems''''' (such as various types of ''"'''Sails'''"'') do not rely upon carried propellant but rather rely upon a propellant already being expelled from an existing external source, or leverage an existing external field generated by some source external to the vessel against which the onboard steering mechanism can react. | ||
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| + | * Use the following list to determine a specific drive type: | ||
# [[Rocket|Reaction Rocket]] | # [[Rocket|Reaction Rocket]] | ||
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## [[Rocket#Nuclear Rocket|Nuclear Rocket]] | ## [[Rocket#Nuclear Rocket|Nuclear Rocket]] | ||
## [[Rocket#Antimatter Rocket|Antimatter Rocket]] | ## [[Rocket#Antimatter Rocket|Antimatter Rocket]] | ||
| − | # Propellantless [[ | + | # Propellantless [[Field-Propulsion Impulse Drive]] |
## [[ContraGravity Lifter]] ([[Z-Drive]]) | ## [[ContraGravity Lifter]] ([[Z-Drive]]) | ||
## [[Gravitic Drive]] ([[G-Drive]]) | ## [[Gravitic Drive]] ([[G-Drive]]) | ||
## [[M-Drive|Maneuver Drive]] ([[M-Drive]]) | ## [[M-Drive|Maneuver Drive]] ([[M-Drive]]) | ||
## [[NAFAL Drive]] ([[N-Drive]]) | ## [[NAFAL Drive]] ([[N-Drive]]) | ||
| + | # [[Solar Sail]] - <small>''(Propellantless External Power)''</small> | ||
| + | ## [[Light Sail]] | ||
| + | ## [[Plasma Sail]] | ||
| + | ## [[Magnetic Sail]] | ||
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| + | {{LE|Drive|Space|Propulsion|Technology}} | ||
Latest revision as of 23:09, 16 January 2026
The term Reaction Drive can refer to a number of distinctly different drive systems. In the strict sense, a Reaction Drive is any drive system leveraging Newton's Third Law of Motion, namely that "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction", and thus produces motion for a vessel along a given momentum vector by imparting to some other body, bodies, or total amount of matter/mass-energy an equal magnitude of momentum along a vector directly antiparallel to the vessel's acquired momentum vector. The term is most commonly used to refer to the many varied forms of Rocket Motor which carry some form of "Reaction Mass" aboard as "propellant" that is expelled from the vessel via the Rocket Motor's operative mechanism in the opposite direction of motion to which the vessel wishes to travel.
But a Reaction Rocket Motor carrying onboard propellant as reaction mass is not the only means of creating an action-reaction interaction. "Propellantless" Reaction Drives such as Field Propulsion Drives which interact with and transfer momentum between masses and bodies via charge and force-field interactions are also engaging in action-reaction coupling, and are thus Reaction Drives. The majority of the modern Gravitic Maneuver Drive systems fall into this category, as they interact with gravitic pseudo-gravity fields that couple to mass and matter: the gravitic-based drive gains momentum at the expense of one or more gravitating bodies' angular and linear momentum within a star system.
External Propulsion Systems (such as various types of "Sails") do not rely upon carried propellant but rather rely upon a propellant already being expelled from an existing external source, or leverage an existing external field generated by some source external to the vessel against which the onboard steering mechanism can react.
- Use the following list to determine a specific drive type:
- Reaction Rocket
- Propellantless Field-Propulsion Impulse Drive
- Solar Sail - (Propellantless External Power)