Re: starship-design: Plasma Engine (VASIMR)

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/30/98 10:20:04 AM, lparker@cacaphony.net wrote:

>I found more information on the plasma engine mentioned on CNN.
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>I knew about VASIMR before, but had not made the connection with Franklin
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>Chang-Diaz. These abstracts may help give a better understanding of his
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>plasma engine. I pointed out to the group once before that much of the
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>research going into VASIMR can also be applied to other concepts such as
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>ACMF that are not as far along.
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>This device is apparently is in test stand stage (it could be flyable in a
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>few years) while ACMF is in test bed stage. There are also several other
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>approaches such as Dense Plasma Focus, Star Thrust, Inertial Electrostatic
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>Confinement, and the Synchrotron Radiation Drive currently in various stages
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>of testing.
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>Both VASIMR and ACMF/AIMSTAR offer delta v in the +200km/sec range making
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>them suitable for relatively rapid interplanetary travel.


These sound good, but how do they expect to generate the power to run these
engines?  Great spec impulse isn't much help if you need to carry along a huge
reactor or something.

Kelly