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Not yet Traveller speeds but VASIMR is coming

It is a great day for science. *

Type "helicon plasma drive" into google for the breakthrough part.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=helicon+plasma+drive&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

The helicon fist stage is a quarts bottle wrapped in wire. No moving parts. If combined with the beta-voltaic power source, it is a system drive.

Also compare it to the 90% efficient new photon thruster:

http://www.photonics.com/Content/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=30860

* every day is a great day for science, actually.
 
VASIMIR is useless in the real world. For operations away from earth it will quickly need a NUCLEAR power supply just like the Voyagers etc. And after the problems with Cassini there'll like be no more nuklear power supplies for civilian space projects due to public (Greenie) pressure groups.

Not to mention the outcry prior to testing it on the ISS. The station is BELOW the Van Allen belts so the engines output might eventually theoretically maybe somehow harm a very sensible human or non human animal. That or something like that will be the line of arguments from various organisations.

Final problem for the system as shown: The unit has to get to the moon for the planned Mars-Boost
 
mbrinkhues said:
VASIMIR is useless in the real world. For operations away from earth it will quickly need a NUCLEAR power supply just like the Voyagers etc. And after the problems with Cassini there'll like be no more nuklear power supplies for civilian space projects due to public (Greenie) pressure groups.
Click to expand...

Actually, there is a test scheduled with NASA from the ISS using the current experimental rig and a 2 Kilowatt Nuclear plant. The launch and test should be completed in 2011 or 2012. In addition, the Russians have just stated their intent to design an interplanetary vessel using a Megawatt Nuclear plant based on designs they intend to publish in 2012. If the efforts can be combined like the ISS, it is possible that they could loft the Megawatt plant while we loft the VASIMIR engine(s). I have yet to see the anti-space launch nutz that can stop the Russians.

mbrinkhues said:
Not to mention the outcry prior to testing it on the ISS. The station is BELOW the Van Allen belts so the engines output might eventually theoretically maybe somehow harm a very sensible human or non human animal. That or something like that will be the line of arguments from various organisations.
Click to expand...

My expectations are that issues like those will be resolved using Casinni as a precedent. At the worst we will see an increased OMS package on the craft as that will be needed on the Lunar side of operations, and ultimatly as a positive controlled Manned Trans-Orbital platform.

mbrinkhues said:
Final problem for the system as shown: The unit has to get to the moon for the planned Mars-Boost
Click to expand...

Actually, NASA has committed to testing to use the system for transport between Lunar and Earth orbit so far. A larger unit, and Mars mission, has to wait for NASA to both test the engine system and to schedule expansion beyond the moon. I expect they will hire the Russians in the end to loft any megawatt plant once they decide to schedule it just based on lift/booster systems.

Marc
 
DARPA is talking about gel powered rockets like it's some kind of solution and and also about a Mach 6 jet turbine.

I can see an aeospace vehicle that is:

A jet to Mach 6.
A SCRAM jet up to Mach 25.
A gel-rocket as needed.
 
stealth said:
DARPA is talking about gel powered rockets like it's some kind of solution and and also about a Mach 6 jet turbine.

I can see an aeospace vehicle that is:

A jet to Mach 6.
A SCRAM jet up to Mach 25.
A gel-rocket as needed.
Click to expand...

Gee,
Swap the gel engine for an old liquid fuel rocket and you have the scram jet proposal the USAF set to Dick Nixon with the other proposals which were down checked in favor of our current Shuttle system...
Not that I mind the shuttle more than I mind the "our s#$t does not stink" attitude that killed a friend of mine but...

It is nice that we are getting back to something that will hopefully be a better thought out process. Hopefully they will put a orbital turn around facility in this process like they should have in the shuttle program.

Marc
 
Commander Truestar said:
Gee,
Swap the gel engine for an old liquid fuel rocket and you have the scram jet proposal the USAF set to Dick Nixon with the other proposals which were down checked in favor of our current Shuttle system...
Click to expand...

I think the gel engine has no cryo-cooler, that is the plus. Think of the turnaround. Anyway, never heard of a SCRAM jet in the Nixon era.

It is nice that we are getting back to something that will hopefully be a better thought out process.
Click to expand...

You ask me we should make a nitro-methane-hydrate burning ram-rocket, with a variable throttle electric fuel pump. That would solve all our aerospace problems. It's a monofuel that stores at room temperature with little degradation, requires no oxygen to burn, and when combusted in a rocket bell produces a hot fuel rich exhaust that's perfect for secondary post-combustion in a ram jet.

I was told this has one problem - it has to lift the ram engine with it. But that's just a tube constricted in the middle. My argument is that you stuff the tube with solid rocket fuel and use it as a booster.
 
Stopping the Ruskies is actually quite simple:

Cut of their money supply!

And that comes from the West. I seriously doubt we'll see Vasimir or the nuke plant in space. First time that I actually find Greenies useful for anything
 
stealth said:
I think the gel engine has no cryo-cooler, that is the plus. Think of the turnaround. Anyway, never heard of a SCRAM jet in the Nixon era.



You ask me we should make a nitro-methane-hydrate burning ram-rocket, with a variable throttle electric fuel pump. That would solve all our aerospace problems. It's a monofuel that stores at room temperature with little degradation, requires no oxygen to burn, and when combusted in a rocket bell produces a hot fuel rich exhaust that's perfect for secondary post-combustion in a ram jet.

I was told this has one problem - it has to lift the ram engine with it. But that's just a tube constricted in the middle. My argument is that you stuff the tube with solid rocket fuel and use it as a booster.
Click to expand...

Too....
Much....
Sense....
Attacker using....
Logic...

Must reinstate...
government thinking...

Must
Lock down
Filters...

LOL

I agree that is absolutely a better way to go than the current step backward.

Mind you, it is nice to have a heavy lifting solid fuel booster but we will need to transition to reusable aeroforms over rockets.

Marc
 
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