The Star Drive

BY PHILLIP HILLS BIRLINN £14.99 ★★★★☆

Inspired by a heat exchange engine stumbled upon in a London market, Hills became fascinated by Robert Stirling’s 1816 invention which, a mere 200 years later, would be developed by NASA into a tiny nuclear reactor KRUSTY (Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology). This revolutionary invention, which runs on heat alone, has the magnitude to alter the future of mankind; from maintaining a permanent base on the moon, to eventually powering a spacecraft and potentially generating a climate-friendly source of energy. A very interesting read.