VASIMR

R.Nkolo · Post by **R.Nkolo** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 4:45 pm

NewSpace 2010: Advanced Space Propulsion

Approaching Warp Speed: Advanced Space Propulsion

Bruce Pittman (Moderator) – NASA Ames Space Portal
Franklin Chang-Diaz – CEO and President, Ad Astra Rocket Company
Leik Myrabo – CEO, Lightcraft Technologies, Inc.; Research Associate Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Steve Howe – Director, Center for Space Nuclear Research
Vince Teofilo – Lockheed Martin

IntLibber · Post by **IntLibber** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:17 am

Interesting talk. Nice to see polywell is included in there. I'm interested in the IEC Propulsion that Teophilo talked about that would have fusion operating but on a sub-net basis, basically to generate a lot higher Isp and thrust for a given input wattage. This sounds like a nice interim fusion propulsion project that could be done prior to net fusion commercialization.

MSimon · Post by **MSimon** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:27 am

IntLibber wrote:Interesting talk. Nice to see polywell is included in there. I'm interested in the IEC Propulsion that Teophilo talked about that would have fusion operating but on a sub-net basis, basically to generate a lot higher Isp and thrust for a given input wattage. This sounds like a nice interim fusion propulsion project that could be done prior to net fusion commercialization.

George Miley is already working on it and has published some papers.

WizWom · Post by **WizWom** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:24 am

Was it just me, or was Teofilo completely clueless about how a Polywell worked and why you needed a closed core?

Did he really suggest a Polywell which had a "hole"?

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:41 am

He kinda mixed in FRC with IEC fusors and Polywell. I don't think he fully appreciates the potential power levels of Polywell. The orbit transfer and GEO station-keeping applications he discussed have thrust requirements in the Newtons or sub-Newton range.

Aero · Post by **Aero** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:23 am

DeltaV wrote:He kinda mixed in FRC with IEC fusors and Polywell. I don't think he fully appreciates the potential power levels of Polywell. The orbit transfer and GEO station-keeping applications he discussed have thrust requirements in the Newtons or sub-Newton range.

Isn't it the Cosmological constant the holds the record for orders of magnitude of error? He wasn't off by that much.

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:49 am

To be fair, he was focused on near-term applications.

DeltaV · Post by **DeltaV** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:51 am

MSimon wrote:
IntLibber wrote:Interesting talk. Nice to see polywell is included in there. I'm interested in the IEC Propulsion that Teophilo talked about that would have fusion operating but on a sub-net basis, basically to generate a lot higher Isp and thrust for a given input wattage. This sounds like a nice interim fusion propulsion project that could be done prior to net fusion commercialization.
George Miley is already working on it and has published some papers.

http://www.n-plasma.com/plasma_jet.html