News on VASIMR

[ar81]

News are in spanish...

Chang considers an ISS research lab
http://www.nacion.com/2010-04-25/AldeaGlobal/NotaPrincipal/AldeaGlobal2346734.aspx
It would be used to test plasma engine and other techniques.
NASA would be partner, plans sketched but not settled.

Alliance with Boeing would bring VASIMR to an asteroid
http://www.nacion.com/2010-04-25/AldeaGlobal/Relacionados/AldeaGlobal2346926.aspx
Ad Astra Rocket planned to do some research on 200kW solar panels, but Boeing already developed it.

"It's the medicine that was needed to change"
http://www.nacion.com/2010-04-25/AldeaGlobal/Relacionados/AldeaGlobal2346847.aspx
Astronaut Franklin Chang sees Obama plan very positive. Alliance with private sector will be the drive to go beyond in space exploration.

-----------
It seems that the old budget was too weak in tech research. It was a budget to build lots of rockets with no new technology. Now things are different. It seems that now companies will do what has already been done, and NASA will figure out the unknowns.

Chemical launchers would have ben a rerun of Apollo program. Apollo would not be good for the leap beyond the moon, something that many saw but did nothing about. It seems Obama saw it and did the required change.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Cool thread - thanks!

 

[ar81]

Plasma Rocket May Shorten Space Voyages
If tests prove successful, this innovative new rocket could one day take astronauts to Mars in a little more than a month.

After years of being futuristic and near future, it looks like it is a good time for addons to start developing low thrust navigation tools, so we are not behind reality.

 

[T.Neo]

Try IEAT MFD. It's perfect for keeping a stable orientation for long periods of time, at high time acceleration.

However it's connection with a navigational aid such as TransX or IMFD is highly complex, AFAIK...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: "Plasma rocket could revolutionize space travel".

 

[N_Molson]

It seems that nuclear reactors aboard spaceships will be a necessity. And that interplanetary spaceships will have to be built in orbit. And for that, reliable launchers like R7, Proton, Arianes, Atlas, Deltas... can do the work.

If this technology proves to be effective in space environement, then let's focus money, private companies & research teams on it. A reliable, safe ground to orbit & orbit to ground vehicle will be necessary though. Soyuz, despite of it's age, is working very well but has only 3 seats and no payload capacity. It's a perfect escape pod / lifeboat.

Maybe an manned supply ship like the CTV (one possible application of the ATV) would be an answer.

 

[ar81]

Vasimr Prototype Makes New Strides
Last fall, the VX-200 Vasimr prototype reached full-power plasma thrust under the control of a superconducting magnet in vacuum conditions. The achievement marked a critical milestone in Chang-Diaz’s long-running efforts to develop an electric propulsion drive that could one day transport humans to Mars in 39 days.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

The Space Review: "VASIMR: hope or hype for Mars exploration"?

 

[T.Neo]

Hmm... Atomic Rockets has a section on a Los Alamos 1MW test reactor with an alpha of 0.493kg/kW, but there doesn't seem to be any other data relating to it.

I wonder what effect such a reactor would have on a theoretical VASMIR mission... :hmm:

 

[Sky Captain]

Part of the problem is there has been only theoretical studies on multi megawatt range space nuclear reactors and no experience of actually building and testing such hardware so we have to start basically from scratch. Anyway, since human Mars mission is still at least two decades in future there is no reason (except funding and fear of the N word) why reactor with recquired performance couldn't be developed. Also such ractors would be useful for unmanned vessels exploring the outer solar system. I'm sure you could mount some pretty awesome science payload given you have several MW of electrical power at your disposal.