Successful Test of Superconducting Plasma Rocket Engine

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Monday July 6, 2009 @05:37AM from the to-superconductivity-and-beyond dept.

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."

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This is great for America by superflit · 2009-07-06 08:15 · Score: 0, Troll

This is a great feat, and sorry for the rest of world. BUT congrats to the USA.
Not being blind and total supporter, but USA still is a great place of science, for research and smart people.
While in the "rest" of the world......
They are still thinking if human rights or democracy is good. USA still can keep its advantage even not beating or killing its own people...
(we know whom I am talking about)
Go america!