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RE: starship-design: Plasma Engine



Kelly,

I don't recall seeing any power requirements mentioned anywhere, but a
Lithium Lorentz Force drive requires as a minimum a 30 kW power source. Only
Russian built space reactors currently supply this much, although there is a
40 kW design being tested by NASA.

There is mention of heating the plasma to power levels of up to 200 kW in
pulses of several seconds, but no mention of how much power that would
require.

I saw mention of a new, more powerful klystron being tested, but don't
remember the specifics.

Lee

-----Original Message-----
From: KellySt@aol.com [mailto:KellySt@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 30, 1998 11:36 AM
To: lparker@cacaphony.net; starship-design@lists.uoregon.edu
Subject: Re: starship-design: Plasma Engine




In general, its like a very big ion drive.  Very effectiv,but dependant on
an
external power source.  So while it may be much more "fuel efficent" on
reactino mass, it may not be in power plant fuel.

Kelly