[world-vedic] THE VEDIC ION ENGINE

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THE VEDIC ION ENGINE

By Bhalchandra Patwardhan

 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was planning a

rendezvous with Haley’s comet in the 1980s. They planned to use a space

probe powered by an Ion Engine. This Engine used a stream of

high-velocity electrified particles instead of a blast of hot gases.

The theory of the Ion Engine has been credited to Robert Goddard, long

recognized as the father of Liquid-fuel Rocketry. It is claimed that in

1906, long before Goddard launched his first modern rocket, his

imagination had conceived the idea of an Ion rocket; however, in light

of new evidence, the story could be entirely different.

 

In 1895 on a beach in the city of Mumbai (Bombay, Maharashtra, India),

Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, a Sanskrit scholar, proved that

heavier-than-air flight was indeed possible. This demonstration was

attended by eminent citizens including, among others, His Highness

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwand of Baroda and Mr. Justice Ranade, and was

reported in “The Kesari” a leading Marathi daily newspaper. Readers

might note that this occurred a full eight years before the Wright

Brothers’ “First” flight at Kitty hawk, North Carolina, USA. An even

more astonishing feature of Talpade’s craft was the power source he

used- An Ion Engine.”

 

Certain verses in the 10th chapter of the Rig-Veda make reference to

the Art of Flight. The great Rishi Bharadvaja has written a commentary

on this in his book “Yantra Vidya” (Science of Machines). Bharadvaja

elucidates the mechanism that provides the impulse needed for

propulsion. It involves the combination of eight sub-assemblies and

uses the interaction of principally Solar energy and Mercury. Talpade

put his knowledge of Sanskrit at the disposal of his creative intellect

and CONSTRUCTED AN AIRCRAFT ACCORDING TO THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN IN THE

RIG-VEDA. IT IS REPORTED THAT THIS FLYING MACHINE GAINED AN ALTITUDE OF

1500 FT. MOST APTLY, HE CALLED HIS AIRCRAFT THE “MARUTSAKHA”- FRIEND OF

THE WIND.

 

The engine now being developed for future use by NASA, by some strange

coincidence, also uses Mercury bombardment units powered by Solar

cells. Interestingly, the impulse is generated in seven stages. The

Mercury propellant is first vaporized, fed into the thruster discharge

chamber, ionized, converted into plasma by a combination with

electrons, broken down electrically, and then accelerated through small

openings in a screen to pass out of the engine at velocities between

20,000 and 50,000 meters per second.

 

Although minute details of the Vedic engine would be available only

after great research, the resemblance of the “modern” engine to it is

totally indisputable. The Ion Engine developed by NASA is capable of

producing, at best, about one pound of thrust- a thrust which is

virtually useless for lifting an object of any practical mass off the

earth. Talpade’s engine, on the other hand, was entirely capable of

lifting his aircraft 1500 feet into the air, over 100 years ago.

 

Several important considerations emerge from the foregoing discussion.

First, Wilbur and Orville Wright were not the pioneers of modern

flight. Secondly, not only had the idea of an Ion Engine been conceived

long before Dr Goddard, but it had also been materialized in the form

of Talpade’s Marutsakha Aircraft. I do not wish to denigrate those

inventors, whose contributions are invaluable, but I think it is now

time to review the history of science and recognize the achievements of

the previous civilizations. The question of the exaltation or

diminution of any country or civilization’s contribution does not

arise. My only contention is that if scientific thought began in Vedic

civilization earlier than in the West, we should not ignore that fact

in our narration of the history of science.

 

(Reproduced from ANCIENT SKIES, BI-monthly published by the ANCIENT

ASTRONAUT SOCIETY, 192 St. Johns Ave. Highland Park, Illinois 60035

USA. From a compilation by Mr. Oak.)

 

 

 

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