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ToughSF

@ToughSf • 37,879 subscribers

Matterbeam. Author of the ToughSF blog. Original SuperNerd. Ex-Kurzgesagt Duck. Freelance writer. Discord https://t.co/Q4cBKnMezk

Shorts

This torch drive is turning 11.1 tons of matter into pure energy per second. If the exhaust is a 20° cone, and it grazes an Earth-like planet, it would cause "all the global warming since the Industrial Revolution" within 30 million km then "boil the oceans" within 3 million km.

This torch drive is turning 11.1 tons of matter into pure energy per second. If the exhaust is a 20° cone, and it grazes an Earth-like planet, it would cause "all the global warming since the Industrial Revolution" within 30 million km then "boil the oceans" within 3 million km.

59,354 просмотров

The bacterial flagellar motor can spin at 100,000 RPM in one direction, then switch gears and flip to spinning in the other direction. How does this work? Cryo-electron microscopy reveals some of the nanoscale mechanics involved:

The bacterial flagellar motor can spin at 100,000 RPM in one direction, then switch gears and flip to spinning in the other direction. How does this work? Cryo-electron microscopy reveals some of the nanoscale mechanics involved:

1,112,688 просмотров

The F-22's Jet Fuel Starter first spins up its small APU turbine, which gradually turns the much larger F119 engines via connecting gearboxes:

The F-22's Jet Fuel Starter first spins up its small APU turbine, which gradually turns the much larger F119 engines via connecting gearboxes:

348,555 просмотров

The lunar rover scene from 'Ad Astra' raises so many questions... How do they transition from day to night so quickly when the terminator is ~15 km wide? Where can pirate rovers hide on the Moon? Who are the neon signs on the outside of the base meant for?

The lunar rover scene from 'Ad Astra' raises so many questions... How do they transition from day to night so quickly when the terminator is ~15 km wide? Where can pirate rovers hide on the Moon? Who are the neon signs on the outside of the base meant for?

24,657 просмотров

Intercepting KKVs in low Earth obit with a laser: It's got all the right elements: radiators heat up as power increases, the laser itself is invisible but focusing optics do scatter it, targets are conical and gradually vaporize under fire...

Intercepting KKVs in low Earth obit with a laser: It's got all the right elements: radiators heat up as power increases, the laser itself is invisible but focusing optics do scatter it, targets are conical and gradually vaporize under fire...

21,953 просмотров

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A mini-movie showing off the Skyhook concept, where an SSTO is boosted off an electromagnetic accelerator and ramp to meet a 230 km long rotating tether that flings it to the Moon:

A mini-movie showing off the Skyhook concept, where an SSTO is boosted off an electromagnetic accelerator and ramp to meet a 230 km long rotating tether that flings it to the Moon:

1,061,417 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

Is this the largest rocket explosion on US soil ever?

Is this the largest rocket explosion on US soil ever?

1,376,352 просмотров • 5 месяцев назад

The Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS) that lets ships ride on a low-friction 'air carpet': It was already demonstrated to reduce fuel consumption by 13% in its first trials.

The Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS) that lets ships ride on a low-friction 'air carpet': It was already demonstrated to reduce fuel consumption by 13% in its first trials.

1,438,893 просмотров • 1 год назад

A railgun mass driver on the Moon, explained by Ian Long : The landing pad doubling as launch armature is a lot of dead weight to accelerate, but that's fine if the 'wasted' energy is recovered by regenerative braking at the end of the track.

A railgun mass driver on the Moon, explained by Ian Long : The landing pad doubling as launch armature is a lot of dead weight to accelerate, but that's fine if the 'wasted' energy is recovered by regenerative braking at the end of the track.

28,784 просмотров • 19 дней назад

The largest CFD sim ever on a single computer was a NASA simulation of the X-59 using FluidX3D: It used 117 billion cells loaded on 6 Terabytes of RAM and generating 7.6 PB of volumetric data.

The largest CFD sim ever on a single computer was a NASA simulation of the X-59 using FluidX3D: It used 117 billion cells loaded on 6 Terabytes of RAM and generating 7.6 PB of volumetric data.

117,370 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад

A Tu-22M3 'Backfire' takes off on full afterburner. Its two NK-25 turbofans produce nearly 500 kN of thrust.

A Tu-22M3 'Backfire' takes off on full afterburner. Its two NK-25 turbofans produce nearly 500 kN of thrust.

80,114 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад

The largest non-nuclear artificial explosion in history is the Minor Scale test: 4744 tons of ANFO packed into a dome simulated the blast for an 8 kT yield airburst nuke.

The largest non-nuclear artificial explosion in history is the Minor Scale test: 4744 tons of ANFO packed into a dome simulated the blast for an 8 kT yield airburst nuke.

139,459 просмотров • 6 месяцев назад

The Liberty Lifter: a DARPA project for a ground-effect seaplane with the cargo capacity of a C-17 but 2.3x more efficient flight.

The Liberty Lifter: a DARPA project for a ground-effect seaplane with the cargo capacity of a C-17 but 2.3x more efficient flight.

14,411 просмотров • 16 дней назад

You'll find an excellent example of hard-SF space combat in SAD:Frontier. Here, the PFS-028 Bellerophon fends off a wave of missiles in orbit around Callisto.

You'll find an excellent example of hard-SF space combat in SAD:Frontier. Here, the PFS-028 Bellerophon fends off a wave of missiles in orbit around Callisto.

180,675 просмотров • 11 месяцев назад

There's been 12 succesful Falcon Heavy launches since 2018. The next one, happening this year, will take the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope into orbit. Here's stabilized footage of USSF-67's spectacular booster separation:

There's been 12 succesful Falcon Heavy launches since 2018. The next one, happening this year, will take the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope into orbit. Here's stabilized footage of USSF-67's spectacular booster separation:

59,429 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад

It's not often that you can see the blue glow of ionized air surrounding a mushroom cloud, filled with radioactive particles from a fission bomb:

It's not often that you can see the blue glow of ionized air surrounding a mushroom cloud, filled with radioactive particles from a fission bomb:

44,319 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад

The original 4000t Orion design dropped a nuclear shaped charge every second, averaging 100 TW of thrust power. A single launch of this vehicle would deliver more payload to LEO than the entire Apollo program. Brian Mac Mághnais:

The original 4000t Orion design dropped a nuclear shaped charge every second, averaging 100 TW of thrust power. A single launch of this vehicle would deliver more payload to LEO than the entire Apollo program. Brian Mac Mághnais:

112,745 просмотров • 1 год назад

The Sukhoi Albatros was a fully reusable launch system with winged booster and 80 ton spaceplane. It used sea launch, but totally not in the way you'd expect: By Hazegrayart

The Sukhoi Albatros was a fully reusable launch system with winged booster and 80 ton spaceplane. It used sea launch, but totally not in the way you'd expect: By Hazegrayart

26,148 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад

The Shuttle Training Aircraft was a Grumman Gulfstream II modified to simulate a gliding Shuttle orbiter: It still needed to drop gear and reverse thrust to match the terrible L/D of the orbiter on descent.

The Shuttle Training Aircraft was a Grumman Gulfstream II modified to simulate a gliding Shuttle orbiter: It still needed to drop gear and reverse thrust to match the terrible L/D of the orbiter on descent.

56,429 просмотров • 6 месяцев назад

On the dark side of the moon, a radio telescope could be suspended over a 5km diameter crater. it'd bypass the ionosphere and be shielded from Earth's electromagnetic noise, achieving substantially greater sensitivity. Real Engineering (Brian Mac Mághnais):

On the dark side of the moon, a radio telescope could be suspended over a 5km diameter crater. it'd bypass the ionosphere and be shielded from Earth's electromagnetic noise, achieving substantially greater sensitivity. Real Engineering (Brian Mac Mághnais):

45,992 просмотров • 6 месяцев назад

Just incredible in-air camera work by Aviation PhotoCrew: Watch the original in 4K if you can.

Just incredible in-air camera work by Aviation PhotoCrew: Watch the original in 4K if you can.

11,591 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

The Star Forge Class Armed Star Frame, a space warship with massive phased array lasers, spinal UREB cannons and beautiful dusty plasma radiator arcs. By Staladus 🐁:

The Star Forge Class Armed Star Frame, a space warship with massive phased array lasers, spinal UREB cannons and beautiful dusty plasma radiator arcs. By Staladus 🐁:

47,778 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад

We might live in the narrow slice of time between drone warfare surprising the armed forces of the world, and cheap+effective countermeasures becoming standard. Here's Northrop Grumman's C-UAS solution based on Bushmasters in light trucks:

We might live in the narrow slice of time between drone warfare surprising the armed forces of the world, and cheap+effective countermeasures becoming standard. Here's Northrop Grumman's C-UAS solution based on Bushmasters in light trucks:

45,829 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад

Mars Express is an excellent animated movie that has not received the attention it deserves. Bravo to Jérémie Périn (Mars Express). Here's a space launch scene from Earth to Mars during the opening credits, with a smart title reveal:

Mars Express is an excellent animated movie that has not received the attention it deserves. Bravo to Jérémie Périn (Mars Express). Here's a space launch scene from Earth to Mars during the opening credits, with a smart title reveal:

105,780 просмотров • 2 лет назад