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

Referring Back

[DynaSoar]

Referring back to http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/06/27/0152216 , where someone asked about a freer country to move to, I suggested Costa Rica.

Besides the humanitarian lean of their universities, they're quite up on technology. They don't have a lot, but they like it. TFA is an example -- Ad Astra is based there in part. It's founder is a native of C.R. and ex-NASA astronaut, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz.

There's also been a few folks go down there to check it out for a possible launch site for commercial and private launches. It's around 10 degrees north latitude, close enough to the equator to go the same rotational boost as they get down there. Nothing announced yet, but the visits were very positive. After all, the VASMIR motor will never get off the ground on its own.