Spacefuel: Utilizing Iron-Dust as a Cheap and Efficient Fuel Source

[Sariaht]

You could use iron-dust as a fuel, if you used a powerful
solar-driven electromagnet canon as an engine inside the ship.
you could turn parts of the iron into dust on your way through space.
the reason why i think this idea is good is that it would be so very cheap.

Also, the dust on Mars could be partly ferromagnetic, therefore it should be extremely easy to clean the surface from dust.

 

[russ_watters]

Good thought - it doesn't have to be ferrous iron though: you can use the magnetic properties of an ion. Its called http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/prop06apr99_2.htm

 

[Sariaht]

What if you condensate hydrogen on the ship?
Liquid hydrogen do have ferromagnetic properties...

whith the help of cold, vibrating, magnetic capilares?.

heavy magnetic fields does actually make substances superconducting
(I read it in a science-paper yesterday),
and that indicates that they do condense gases! I WAS RIGHT!
This could be used in Sahara; they could spread out magnetic plastic capilares in Sahara to get water!

 

[Sariaht]

By the way, are there any magnetic gases?

I have a feeling that magnetic gases could be used as a shield against heavy meteors.

You could actually mine air with vacuumfild magnetic bulletlike things. That would surely stopp the use of ferromagnetic aeroplanes and weapons. It could also be used as a defence against comets.


What about supermagnetic bullets to shoot down meteors?

What if you had fins on spaceships so that the centripetal force could be adjusted? Maybe spaceships should look more like fishes.