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US backs first fusion of fast chemical rockets and nuclear electric propulsion
Interesting Engineering ^ | 10/18/24 | Mrigakshi Dixit

Posted on 10/18/2024 6:58:07 PM PDT by know.your.why

The U.S. Space Force has provided funding of $35 million to create a new spacecraft that can “maneuver without regret.”

In the future, there could be a spacecraft capable of maneuvering with unprecedented speed and agility, without the constraints of limited fuel.

The U.S. Space Force has provided funding of $35 million to create a new spacecraft that can “maneuver without regret.”

(Excerpt) Read more at interestingengineering.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: technology
Maneuver without regret. I used to know a girl like that.

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/fusion-of-fast-rockets-and-nuclear-propulsion
1 posted on 10/18/2024 6:58:07 PM PDT by know.your.why
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To: know.your.why

Kind of like a Tic Tac craft? Funny how that happens.


2 posted on 10/18/2024 6:59:11 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (Don’t vote for anyone over 70 years old. Get rid of the geriatric politicians.)
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To: know.your.why
 
 
Elon Musk, pick up the white courtesy phone, call for Elon Musk...
 
 

3 posted on 10/18/2024 7:17:00 PM PDT by lapsus calami (What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
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To: know.your.why

I’m thinking this will cost way, and I mean way more than just $35 million.


4 posted on 10/18/2024 8:01:41 PM PDT by Licensed-To-Carry (John 14:6 Romans 10:9 Hebrews 9:27)
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To: know.your.why

“I used to know a girl like that.”

LOL...but I’d wager there are a lot more guys like that.


5 posted on 10/18/2024 8:15:20 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (It should be illegal to be here illegally. It should be a crime to be committing crimes in the USA.)
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To: Licensed-To-Carry

Of course it will.
It’s probably $35 million for lab work or bench scale experiments.
As a rule of thumb, pilot / demonstration work costs 10X that. Then commercial deployment costs 10X that.

The success rate going from lab work to pilot is 10%. Then the success rate going from pilot / demonstration to commercial deployment is 10%.

This is true for all new technologies.


6 posted on 10/18/2024 8:18:07 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (It should be illegal to be here illegally. It should be a crime to be committing crimes in the USA.)
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To: Licensed-To-Carry

It’ll be $35M PER ENGINE. By comparison, SpaceX’s Raptor is a methalox engine with a nominal cost of ~$1M per engine with Elon’s desire to scale production to a point where the cost comes down to ~$250K. Nuclear propulsion was tried and was exceptionally effective, but electric engines aren’t going to produce the TWR required to get any meaningful payload into space. They’re really only useful in vacuum.


7 posted on 10/19/2024 1:15:25 AM PDT by rarestia (“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.” -Hamilton)
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To: rarestia

Likely end up Regret Outmaneuvered.


8 posted on 10/19/2024 3:41:00 AM PDT by Bookshelf
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To: know.your.why

Ummmm - how can $35 Million make a dent in that project?

Such aircraft will cost many multiples of that...and R&D is way more expensive than eventual product...

Someone’s just found a way to dip into taxpayers’ money...


9 posted on 10/19/2024 5:00:37 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: know.your.why

I can see a cobimination of chemical fueled booster rockets, for the heavy lifting and very small nuclear fueled propulsion units for the very long distance requirements. The nuclear fueled units would be so capable that in the near emptiness of space they could carry the heavier chemical fueled boosters for off planet take-offs and landings.


10 posted on 10/19/2024 9:15:22 AM PDT by Wuli
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