Antimatter Fuel: Will Future Space Travel Rely on It?

[Debaa]

Will we be able to harness antimatter so precisely that we use it as fuel in the future? I mean this would mean a great deal in space travel! Thoughts?

 

[BvU]

Give us some more of your thoughts to provide some context for this double question:
If it takes a million times more energy to make the stuff than it can produce, wouldn't it be rather 'expensive' ?
When used as 'fuel' (probably in the form of annihilation) there's a few physical laws that resist 'harnessing' -- such as momentum conservation. How do you think we could bend that to obtain propulsion ?

 

[Debaa]

Give us some more of your thoughts to provide some context for this double question:
If it takes a million times more energy to make the stuff than it can produce, wouldn't it be rather 'expensive' ?
When used as 'fuel' (probably in the form of annihilation) there's a few physical laws that resist 'harnessing' -- such as momentum conservation. How do you think we could bend that to obtain propulsion ?

My bad. I meant not as a matter of expence but as a matter of exploration of space.

 

[Dale]

I mean this would mean a great deal in space travel!

I like this idea better:
https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.1803

 

[XZ923]

I like this idea better:
https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.1803

I fully realize that this post will probably get dinged for being un-scientific, but can I just point out that's how a Romulan Warbird is powered, while the OP's idea is how the Enterprise is powered? I just think it's interesting to see the reflection of society's constructs against the actual theoretical physics.

OK, my inner nerd is back in the closet. Sorry again, I'll make him do pushups until he apologizes.

 

[Debaa]

I like this idea better:
https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.1803

Fascinating captain.

 

[Khashishi]

Currently, it is too hard to store meaningful quantities of antimatter to be used as fuel. I don't see that changing any time soon.

 

[Physics-GEEK]

It might be a good fuel, but a very important factor is money. For 1 gram of anti hydrogen, it costs 62 TRILLION US dollars to make it, and this is only 1 GRAM. I don't think it's ever possible to actually get this kind of money, only for 1 gram! Other than that, the antimatter fusing with matter could also create an explosion. If this explosion SOMEHOW can be contained AND the money won't be that much, then I would think that this is a good idea!