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Recently I read in the news:
"NASA and Ad Astra Rocket Company of Webster, Texas, have signed a Space Act Agreement that could lead to the testing of a new plasma-based space propulsion technology on the International Space Station. The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine initially was studied by NASA and is being commercially developed by Ad Astra."
The VASIMR engine shall be used for boosting the ISS orbit. Electrical power for short boosts is supplied by batteries, being trickle-charged from the stations solar panels.
On the Ad Astra homepage a visionary concept is discussed, to make the whole ISS a VASIMR-driven spaceship in some distant future. The advantage would be, that the ISS is already in orbit and is capable of accomodating a crew on long-duration missions.
- Do you think this a realistic option?
- Can the station withstand the required acceleration without breaking appart?
- Would the solar panels provide sufficient electrical power to supply the engines continously? (How much power is needed per 1 Newton of thrust?)
I understand orbit boosting requires very little acceleration, but going to the moon (or beyond ) will probably require a higher thrust level.
The Europeans have spiraled-up the ion-driven SMART-1 satellite to the moon, having 366 kg mass and only 70 milliNewton thrust, taking about 2 months to reach moon orbit. So technically it might be possible ...
"NASA and Ad Astra Rocket Company of Webster, Texas, have signed a Space Act Agreement that could lead to the testing of a new plasma-based space propulsion technology on the International Space Station. The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine initially was studied by NASA and is being commercially developed by Ad Astra."
The VASIMR engine shall be used for boosting the ISS orbit. Electrical power for short boosts is supplied by batteries, being trickle-charged from the stations solar panels.
On the Ad Astra homepage a visionary concept is discussed, to make the whole ISS a VASIMR-driven spaceship in some distant future. The advantage would be, that the ISS is already in orbit and is capable of accomodating a crew on long-duration missions.
- Do you think this a realistic option?
- Can the station withstand the required acceleration without breaking appart?
- Would the solar panels provide sufficient electrical power to supply the engines continously? (How much power is needed per 1 Newton of thrust?)
I understand orbit boosting requires very little acceleration, but going to the moon (or beyond ) will probably require a higher thrust level.
The Europeans have spiraled-up the ion-driven SMART-1 satellite to the moon, having 366 kg mass and only 70 milliNewton thrust, taking about 2 months to reach moon orbit. So technically it might be possible ...