Anti-matter??

[vitalij931]

Hey, I've recently stumbled upon a video (obviously that relates to space) where anti matter is mentioned. Now, I was thinking... Making the anti-matter just like on video is pointless because that would've been a hack tool, so why not make something like it, maybe for small probes only or something else. Since I'm no expert in making mods for KSP maybe someone can take the job? and post your thoughts, suggestions, anything goes.

VIDEO

[Tw1]

Antimatter is a little two sci-fi-ish for KSP, probably. Definitely at the moment.

[dizzysaurus]

I have a mod I'd like to build that would involve antimatter for the extremely high specific impulse it gives you.

You'd have to put a collector/factory in close orbit around the sun then leave it running for 100 days to get maybe a gram of anti-hydrogen. Then once you have enough for your mission, ferry it back to high Kerbin orbit to transfer it to your big interplanetary or interstellar ship.

It would require adding a new resource to the game like Kethane and designing an engine to use that resource (maybe 2 engines, one direct reaction that has a magical material to redirect gamma rays and a second that uses antimatter to heat an exhaust fluid like liquid hydrogen)

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter_rocket

[chaos_forge]

You know what would be even cooler than anti-matter? Black hole-powered starships. But on-topic: Too sci-fi for my taste. Really, all you'd need for interstellar travel would be an Orion or even a fusion-powered ship. Antimatter is a bit over the top, also considering the fact that we have no idea how to create or contain it. And antimatter drives would actually be most useful for huge ships, not small probes.

[vitalij931]

Oooooohhh snap, that sounds awesome but I can't even visualize that not to mention creating it in KSP :/

[vitalij931]

If you can create that'd be awesome, but if you are to make one why not make a .cfg file that will allow to change some values o.O

[imasquare]

I concur, an anti-matter type 'engine' is too sci-fi for the KSP universe at the moment, in addition the physics engine would be likely unable to handle the engine power properly and destroy your ship in the process. For the moment this should be out of scope of stock KSP deliverables.

[Comrade Jenkens]

I think once campaign mode comes around and you have to research stuff then this would be much more feasible. At the moment though it would just ruin the sandbox balance.

[TwoHedWlf]

I don't think it's too scifi, maybe once we have a campaign have it be the final late game fuel source. But what I'd be worried about is given how massively destructive a containment failure could be would you REALLY trust people as incompetent as kerbals to build an antimatter containment vessel with debris found on the side of the road?

Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was blown up by Jeb here...

[chaos_forge]

But what I'd be worried about is given how massively destructive a containment failure could be would you REALLY trust people as incompetent as kerbals to build an antimatter containment vessel with debris found on the side of the road?

Off topic: You should read bac9's post statement about how kerbals aren't actually incompetent.

[kerbinorbit]

If they do implement it, they would need at least another star system implemented so the Anti matter engine would be usefull

[BostLabs]

If they do implement it, they would need at least another star system implemented so the Anti matter engine would be usefull

Not really. It could be used as constant acceleration thrust. The deceleration would be the down side on that. You'd have to spends as much time decell as accell.

[alaskafish]

Remember. At one point the devs want to add FTL drives. And as we know, FTL drives are no where "realistic". So I guess dark matter can power it?

[chaos_forge]

Remember. At one point the devs want to add FTL drives. And as we know, FTL drives are no where "realistic". So I guess dark matter can power it?

Is this confirmed? I thought they were just considering FTL as a possibility for late-game.

[Comrade Jenkens]

Also if they were going to add antimatter i'd rather that they added fusion rockets and vasmir drives first. They are near(er) future rather than antimatter and it would stop there being gaps in the theoretical tech tree.

[Scoundrel]

Yes it is true that HarvesteR is/was thinking of adding FTL as a late game drive*. It was back when he was talking about expansion packs in one of the live streams or that IRC thing that he and Skunky did. There might even be a post or two about it here or on Reddit if you're so inclined to go digging. His idea for interstellar travel wasn't exactly the whooshyomgitsfullofstarsfor20minutes type drive suggested here; IIRC he was thinking more like a jump drive that would likely just use a cut scene to transport the ship. Of course, since the EP blowup he may have changed his mind, so it's really up in the air now.

*Caveat: Squad reserves the right to change their mind about anything at any time for any reason.

[josea74]

Antimatter should probably not be in the real game because it destroys matter but is the same as matter so you can make a antimatter rocket but whats the point when you already have matter rockets. Its pointless. And mixing parts would not work because it would explode with matter.

[TwoHedWlf]

Antimatter should probably not be in the real game because it destroys matter but is the same as matter so you can make a antimatter rocket but whats the point when you already have matter rockets. Its pointless. And mixing parts would not work because it would explode with matter.

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That makes no sense.

[NERVAfan]

Antimatter should probably not be in the real game because it destroys matter but is the same as matter so you can make a antimatter rocket but whats the point when you already have matter rockets. Its pointless. And mixing parts would not work because it would explode with matter.

When people say/write "antimatter engine" they mean one using antimatter/matter annihilation for power (or antimatter catalyzed nuclear engines maybe) not an engine actually made out of antimatter.

[imasquare]

Remember. At one point the devs want to add FTL drives. And as we know, FTL drives are no where "realistic". So I guess dark matter can power it?

Really? Hm, well I guess it isn't too difficult to implement a procedurally generated galaxy/universe like in 'Spore', however at this moment the KSP 1.0.x GA release should not include FTL/Trekkie-Transwarp-Drive-Thing within the scope of deliverables to go to these locations.

IF, and only IF they decide to do a sequel to KSP where they adventure beyond the local solar system, THEN maybe I would consider it. Squad has a limited time and capital to achieve their planned goals, the team needs to focus their efforts on the current list of planned features, and optimising and fixing their existing gameplay issues.

[kerbinorbit]

Vasmire drives?

[SargeRho]

If antimatter is implemented, it should be after career mode, and be extremely hard to obtain.

For the record: Antimatter is not sci-fi. It's actively being used already, just not in space travel. PET scanners use a positron-emitting radionuclide, the positrons annihilate with electrons, and the resulting gamma ray pair is picked up by the scanner.

Lasers can produce Antimatter in considerable quantities in the form of Positrons (and Electrons). The VARIES concept would use lasers to produce Positronium, and would repeat that process at the target before beginning the return trip.

[Deejay2000]

It's probably just me, but I wouldn't like this in game. I want technology similar to what we have now, I wouldn't really like anti-matter drives. If it does get implemented, like said above, it probably wouldn't be until career mode is finished. I can, however, see a mod with anti-matter drives.

-Deejay

[kerbinorbit]

if they do implement it, what would the engine look like?

well it might look like the one in SargeRho's picture. Radially attachable maybe?

[SpaceHole]

I think the main problem is, that whatever is included in the game has to be balanced. As of now an antimatter-Engine seems to scifi and also way to good.

If traveling gets too easy the game will get boring.