kzt wrote:Jonathan_S wrote:Still knowing something can be done is a strong motivator for figuring out how; and having Simones to provide assistance should speed work along nicely.
We've had the basic theory for how to make a fusion reactor for 60 years, and we are still "30 years away" from having one work. So sometimes there is a lot more complexity to the engineering than the science.
To nitpick we've had plenty of reactors that can create nuclear fusion - you can even build one as a table-top science project (Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor). What none of them has managed to do yet is produce more usable energy than it takes to run them.
cthia wrote:With ownership of the MWJ network, hitting their heads against the Iota and Kappa walls just isn't such a pressing need.
Also, the MAlign wanted and needed to keep the discovery a secret -- hence, a dispatch boat of normal size. I don't suppose there's any reason the technology cannot be applied to freighters? Which would limit shipping times during legs where junctions aren't available. Yet I don't suppose it would cut shipping times for some non perishable shipments on certain routes enough to forego the more expensive junction costs, therefore a Machiavellian motive for Manticoran interests not to want to pursue the research.
Unless the breakthroughs that make a Streak Drive capable of accessing the kappa bands also made it more economical to operate and maintain than a normal military hyper generator I doubt we'll see general adoption of streak drive into merchant service -- even after it's declassified.
The streak drive hyper generator does give you 1.45 faster transit than a military grade (Theta band capable) hyper generator. But if it wasn't cost effective for most merchants to upgrade to the 2.29x faster military grade (compared to their Delta band capable merchant hyper generator) I don't think the upgrade from 2.29x to 3.33x will be enough to tip the scales.
Especially since something described as a brute force solution, and that we know to be larger (and presumably more complex overall) is likely more expensive to build, operate, and maintain than the current military hyper generators.
Some civilian ships will jump at the chance, but most will likely remain happily plodding along in the Delta bands.
(Unless, as some here have speculated, spin-off knowledge from the Streak Drive allows 'free' improvements to merchant hyper generator design; allowing access to Epsilon or Zeta bands with a generator having basically the same total cost of ownership as the current Delta band designs)