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RE: RE: starship-design: Plasma Engine (VASIMR)



Kelly,

> Thats not what I ment.  To generate the power, you need fuel, lots of it.
The
> fuel weighht is what drage all this stuff down.

Huh? I was talking about a 40 kW space rated nuclear reactor such as those
designed for satellites. Yes it is heavy, but not because it requires lots
of fuel. The purpose of this power was to drive a very large klystron tube
which heats the hydrogen fuel into a plasma. NOW you have lots of fuel - for
the engines, not to generate power.

This engine approaches fusion engines in efficiency, making it ideal for
interplanetary missions. It could even put a probe through one of the nearer
star systems within fifty years.

Lee