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.)