Hi everybody, and welcome back to the show.
Spacex's Starship is the most groundbreaking rocket system
that's ever happened to humanity.
But Elon Musk. SpaceX relies on a chemical
propulsion system for its Starship spacecraft, utilizing a
mix of liquid oxygen and methane as fuel.
Now in contrast, British startup Pulse, Our Fusion is venturing
into a radical new direction in the field of aerospace
engineering, developing a nuclear fusion rocket engine.
Now this technology aims to fuse 2 lighter atoms together to
create a heavier atom, releasing an enormous amount of energy in
the process. And the result of this?
It's a journey to Mars that could potentially be completed
in half the time currently achievable by Spacex's Starship.
Furthermore, Pulsar Fusion is pioneering the use of artificial
intelligence in the realm of space propulsion technology.
Collaborating with Princeton Satellite Systems, Pulsar Fusion
is using machine learning simulations to predict and
control the behavior of super heated plasma under
electromagnetic confinement, an essential part of their fusion
based engine. Now while SpaceX has made
significant strides under Musk's leadership, Pulsar Fusion's
innovative approach could revolutionize our understanding
of interplanetary travel. Now, don't go away just yet.
We'll be right back with more fascinating insights into the
future of space travel after this quick commercial break.
An ambitious British startup is breaking new ground in the
aerospace sector with a game changing approach to space
propulsion. A Pulsar fusion is at the
forefront of developing a nuclear fusion rocket engine
that could potentially have the journey time to Mars.
Based in Bletchley, England, Pulsar Fusion is committed to
developing a propulsion system that can reach speeds upwards of
500,000 mph or 805,000 kilometers per hour, and it will
endure the most scorching temperatures in the solar
system. At the heart of this venture
lies nuclear fusion. This is the same reaction that
powers our sun and gives it is tremendous energy.
Nuclear fusion is a process within two lighter atoms
combined under high temperature and pressure conditions to form
a heavier atom, releasing huge amounts of energy in the
process. The scientists globally have
lauded the potential of this near limitless 0 carbon energy
source as the potential successor to fossil fuels.
Ironically, the applications of nuclear fusion as a game changer
in our quest for cleaner energy might first be demonstrated in
the depths of deep space before we can fully harness it on our
home planet of Earth. Now space is the ideal
environment for fusion with its vacuum conditions and the
extreme cold, says Richard Dinan, the CEO of Pulsar Fusion.
He said contrary to a ground based fusion power station,
fusion propulsion for space doesn't require an enormous
steam turbine. And if you can be sourced
externally rather than being manufactured on site, Dinan
plans to channel this energy directly into the engine to
achieve propulsion, a goal he believes is attainable within a
short timeline of just about four years.
And the technical challenges are immense.
But the team at Pulsar Fusion remains undeterred.
The primary challenge lies in successfully confining the Super
heated plasma within an electromagnetic field, explains
Doctor James Lambert, chief Financial officer at Pulsar
Fusion. He adds the plasma behaves much
like a weather system, unpredictable and hard to
control under conventional techniques.
Now, as the plasma heats up to hundreds of millions of degrees,
your reaction simply ceases due to the turbulence.
However, recent scientific breakthroughs have propelled
this concept closer to reality. In December and milestone was
reached with the first fusion reaction that produced more
energy than it took to initiate, a feat hailed as one of the most
impressive scientific achievements of the 21st
century. Now, encouraged by these
advances and the promise of artificial intelligence, Pulsar
Fusion is collaborating with Princeton Satellite Systems
based in the US, to simulate and predict plasma behavior under
electromagnetic confinement. These AI guided machine learning
simulations will inform the rocket engines design process
and Pulsar Fusion's roadmap includes demonstrating that the
rocket can achieve fusion temperatures by 2027.
If successful, this would represent a significant step
towards the world's first commercially viable fusion based
engine, they said. Our technology could have
mission times to Mars and reduce the flight time to Saturn from 8
years to just two. Ultimately, it could empower
humanity to venture beyond our solar system.
We're going to be shifting our focus to X or Twitter.
Let's call it Twitter for now. Twitter's freshly minted X
symbol has hastily removed from its San Francisco headquarters
on Monday, following city official stern reproach for its
unpermitted installation. The massive attention grabbing
sign set high above Twitter's building began to flash its
presence last week, part of the social media giants latest
rebranding effort. So the San Francisco Department
of Building Inspection cited the company after receiving a flurry
of 24 complaints, flagging concerns about the structure
safety in the glare of its intense illumination.
City regulations demand a building permit for the
insulation and even the dismantling of such a sign, a
stipulation overlooked by Twitter.
Yet due to immediate safety concerns, the removal was
permitted to proceed, as confirmed by Patrick Hannon, the
department spokesperson to NPR. Now the conflict comes on the
heels of sweeping changes announced by Twitter just last
week. The removal, which came less
than three days after an initial visit by a city inspector to
Twitter's headquarters on Friday, indicates escalating
tensions between the tech company and the city.
The inspector responding to the city's complaint was called to
evaluate the controversial rooftop signs adherence to city
codes. The company's response was less
than accommodating, with a Twitter representative denying
the inspector access. The representative, however,
stated that the structure was a temporary lighted sign for an
event, only to be countered by the inspectors firm declaration
that an unpermitted signage must be taken down.
Repeated attempts at inspection were met with continued
resistance. The second visit to the
headquarters on Saturday resulted in another denied
request for rooftop access. Twitter as of yet has not
responded for requests for comment.
Elon Musk, the current Twitter owner, however, offered a cheeky
response to a tweet claiming San Francisco authorities were
attempting to strong arm the removal of the X sign.
Musk replied with a laughing, crying emoji, a dismissal of the
ongoing drama. Now, this isn't the first
encounter of regulatory friction of Twitter in recent days.
The company faced reprimands from San Francisco with city
officials last Monday for removing its original signage,
which featured its name and I Bluebird logo, without securing
the necessary permits. Furthermore, the city criticized
the company for neglecting pedestrian safety measures such
as sectioning off the sidewalk during the removal process.
The current clash underscores A fraught relationship between the
social media Titan and it's host city as it embarks on its bold
new rebranding journey. Thank you so much for listening
to the show today and I appreciate all of you and all of
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So thanks again. Take care of yourselves and each
other and I'll see you in the next one.