Engines, Rockets, Ions Drives and Space Warping.
Propulsion tech - the idea of plasma based propulsion has occurred to people other than me; however lately some private corporations decided to tell the science journals where to go, (much like Edison did with that radical “light globe” idea of his) and now the concept has escaped into the corporate domain, helped a great deal by technological progress in experimental plasma recycling (and power generating!) plants. (another interesting topic on its own)
Imagine a rocket that attached to a big enough power source can burn space dust as fuel- and with enough (speed) flow can generate the power it needs to run the ship. Waste product include those that can be used by the crew. Irony here is the front of this thing would look like the hydrogen scoop in star trek.
If we as a race keep our car obsession you could fly one of these in permanent orbit and make hydrocarbon gas from space dust and junk. Goodbye fuel crisis. (mind you a factory on earth would be better but spaceward has more mad scientist appeal here, yes?
— Overlord PhoenixX 2010/03/06 04:13