Recent content by MarcusIII

Yes, and even if a ship is also motionless the ship doing the detecting probably is moving so it soon notices the unmoving point of heat as being inside the system and thus isn't a star or other natural object.

Space is about -450 F. Room temp is +71 F. So even if your ship is running at room temp you are still a bonfire against the background of almost absolute zero space for IR sensors.

Everyone should read the part on atomic rockets about this. All the arguments that get shot down are on there too so one doesn't have to waste their time getting shot down again.

With magic. They wrote a rule saying so.

Yes, it's magic

Won't work. See thermodynamics for more details.

Nope. None will work

Pirates need the victim's ship. If they know they will be killed while boarding they will pass on the effort.

That just makes a trail of hot matter leading back to the ship. So, won't stop you from being detected. Plus what mass are you using?

Yes, this is foundational to how our universe functions. Thermodynamics. Without it you can't make a cup of tea. So for Trav "stealth" hulls I just make it more difficult to spot by 2. It doesn't stop detection but makes it a bit more difficult.

At those heat levels a 30cm lens for your IR scope would spot your cold fusion ship out to ~Neptune (from Earth's orbit. A 3.5cm lens probably out to the Mars. You can work the formulas given (which are correct). I used to have a spreadsheet where one could enter the temp and square meter size...

Incorrect Cold fusion isn't actually cold. It is hot; just not as hot as regular fusion. Against the background of space it is a brilliant light shining for all to see.

The real question is, "How much waste heat does a multi-mega watt fusion power plant create?"

Up to the point where range is uncertain. At that point you can't lock. A few thousand miles.

Yes, at short range. We've had the tech since the late 50's with Sidewinder AA missilees