Boeing's new jet engine works by firing high-power lasers at radioactive material, such as Deuterium and Tritium.
The lasers vaporize the radioactive material and causes a fusion reaction — in effect a small thermonuclear explosion.
Hydrogen or helium are the exhaust by-products, which exit the back of the engine under high-pressure. Thrust is produced.
At the same time, the inside wall of the engine's thruster chamber — coated in uranium 238— reacts with the high-energy neutrons produced by the nuclear reaction and generates immense heat.
The engine harnesses the heat by running coolant along the other side of the the uranium-coated combustion chamber.
This heat-energized coolant is sent through a turbine and generator that produces electricity to power the engine's lasers. Yes, lasers!
Other than the radioactive material, the engine requires very little in terms of external energy.
Check out the full video description courtesy of PatentYogi:
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