DARPA has Micro-Thruster Success

From a SpaceDaily.com story:

With DARPA Phase II Small Business Innovation Research funding, researcher Dr. Amish Desai of Tanner Research, Pasadena, Calif., has demonstrated micro-thrusters that generate 40 milli-Newton seconds of impulse by combusting 35 milligrams of propellant, primarily composed of black powder.
This yields a specific impulse of 116 seconds, and represents the highest known level of specific impulse achieved to date for micro-thrusters.


Like micro-thrusters with the performance of macro-thrusters. Basically: A narrow aluminum tube ( 4 millimeters) that achieves 50 to 100 times the level of thrust previously achieved with synthetic polymers (i.e., plastic, epoxy and silicon.)
So what? Well, even the Starship Enterprise needed to first maneuver out of space dock before engaging the Warp Drive. Thrusters were always the first propulsion system to be engaged, followed closely by Impulse Engines, then the Warp Drive.
But it starts with thrusters...
Those DARPA researchers, always coming up with new and amazing scientific achievements. It's incredible what they can accidentally discover in the name of national defense.