Successful Test of Superconducting Plasma Rocket Engine

xp65 writes to mention that Ad Astra has successfully tested their VX-200 plasma engine at full power in superconducting conditions, the first time such an engine has been tested at those power levels. "The VX-200 engine is the first flight-like prototype of the VASIMR® propulsion system, a new high-power plasma-based rocket, initially studied by NASA and now being developed privately by Ad Astra. VASIMR® engines could enable space operations far more efficiently than today's chemical rockets and ultimately they could also greatly speed up robotic and human transit times for missions to Mars and beyond."

Comments

Re:High Thrust, High Specific Impulse (Isp)

[Xaedalus]

THIS is why we need to go to the Moon and Mars and beyond... it is only through pushing through the boundaries to the unknown that we advance as a species. Otherwise, all we do is sit in self-induced stagnation endlessly trying to perfect ourselves.

Re:High Thrust, High Specific Impulse (Isp)

[MickyTheIdiot]

THIS is why we need to go to the Moon and Mars and beyond... it is only through pushing through the boundaries to the unknown that we advance as a species. Otherwise, all we do is sit in self-induced stagnation endlessly trying to perfect ourselves.

I agree, but this is going to be the tough sell over the next 30 years. I know where I work I am drowning a deluge of people who never crack a book, have no curiosity beyond what will happen on the next American Idol, and have no deep thoughts about anything.

Vonnegut (and many others) seem to be right and we seem to be devolving. Endeavours in space and science is how we move forward, but there are less and less people that are interested in anything beyond where they are going to eat tonight. Fighting shallow mindedness is the REAL struggle.

Re:High Thrust, High Specific Impulse (Isp)

[ardor]

This fight has always been happening. Just imagine how hard it was for intellectuals in the Middle Ages to even get a book, let alone exchange information. I don't think we are *devolving*. Instead, I think three things are happening:

1. Thanks to telecommunication, we get a LOT more information. In the past, you didn't really notice the masses of ignorant people, now you do. (This also applies to things like "so many more catastrophes/crimes/etc. nowadays" - they have always been around, we just did not know about them)
2. The amount of ignorant people increases faster than the amount of people interested in science - but the ratio between the two is constant. Today, you have zillions of reality shows, nonsensical talkshows and "news", religious nutcases and politicians spewing their garbage in the networks etc. But on the other hand we have *many* more universities, scientists, labs, research facilities, libraries, advancements than in the past.
3. Today's research focuses - has to focus - on incremental improvements. Huge, mindblowing breakthroughs are becoming increasingly rare. However, this does not mean research as a whole is stagnating, its just our perception that cannot really grasp the overall impact of all these myriads of small improvements.

Don't get me wrong, fighting shallow mindedness is TOTALLY necessary, but it has always been. There has been no "golden age" where everybody was open-minded and well-educated.