Superconducting plasma rockets might sound like something Buck Rogers blasts the Infini-Cruiser into the Nth dimension with, but this isn’t throwaway technobabble. It’s the result of years of work, and the prototype space engine is currently powering through testing.
The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR)
is a form of ion drive. All ion drives are designed for use in space
(so we’ll still need to set fire to gigantic tanks of propellant to get
there), but once there they allow us to use fuel far more efficiently.
Instead of relying on chemical reactions to push propellant out of a
thruster, imparting an equal and opposite force on the the craft, ion
drives magnetically
accelerate the particles out the exhaust - so you can get far more
thrust from the same mass of fuel, and since you’re in (near-Earth)
space solar power means you don’t need to carry big batteries.
The VASIMR is an upgrade to the ion engine idea, with the latest model using superconducting
magnets to massively increase the strength of the magnetic field
driving the output without increasing the weight. First stage testing
at the Ad Astra Rocket Company has already been completed, with
second-staging testing - ramping up the power output by a factor of ten - scheduled for next week.
Getting
improved engines off the drawing and into action is essential for
mankind’s space plans. Reducing the launch mass of any craft yields
massive savings in launch costs, making it more likely that more will
happen. You know, until we evolve past the stupidity where exploring
the universe itself has to be approved by a balance sheet.
Superconducting Plasma Rocket Testing http://spacefellowship.com/2009/07/06/vx-200-demonstrates-superconducting-first-stage-at-full-power/
0 comentários:
Enviar um comentário