Sometimes I wish my mind had been able to wrap itself around math; pursuing pure and applied science in the name of advancing humanity's horizons just seems more noble than mucking around in the dirt of human folly and frailty. But it's a job most of us have to do.
But sometimes it would be cool to just be able to work on methane engines and fire up one's work and see the fruits of one's intellectual labor.
These people are taking some important steps to getting humanity in and around the solar system, and then perhaps outside of it. This little test is seriously like one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Go to NASA's page for more about this new engine.
Frickin' methane engine, man. I mean, they are talking about launching a probe, letting it explore and collect samples, and refilling itself with the abundant liquid methane on these outer planets' moons, and coming back home to mama!
Who knew they could send a probe into the deepest depths of space, and actually get it back to Earth, powered only by the ample and abundant gases from the moons of Uranus?
Uranus.
You know I couldn't leave that one alone.
I am just imagining some circa 2150 astronauts getting to one of the outer rim planetary moons and cracking their helmuts in their temporary shelter, causing one to blurt out, while wrinkling his nose and waving her hand, "Whoo-whee! Somebody light a match! Jeez, you guys!"
Instantly realizing the stupidity of that suggestion, he stutters, "No, wait! Don't...!"
BOOM.
Hehehe. Cool.
