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NASA and Ad Astra Rocket Company sign Agreement for flight test of the VASIMR rocket engine
SpaceRef.com ^ | 12/14/08 | Ad Astra Rocket Company

Posted on 12/14/2008 6:21:08 PM PST by KevinDavis

[Houston, TX. For immediate release] - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Ad Astra Rocket Company of Webster, Texas have entered into a Space Act Agreement that could lead to conducting a space flight test of the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR(TM)) engine on the International Space Station (ISS). The VASIMR(TM) engine is a new plasma-based space propulsion technology, initially studied by NASA and currently under commercial development by Ad Astra. The agreement was fully executed on December 8, 2008. It was signed on behalf of NASA by its Associate Administrator for Space Operations, William H. Gerstenmaier and on behalf of Ad Astra Rocket Company by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Franklin R. Chang Diaz. It is the third agreement entered into by the parties since June, 2005 relating to the VASIMR(TM) technology development.

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


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Science
KEYWORDS: adastra; space; vasmir
Excellent..
1 posted on 12/14/2008 6:21:09 PM PST by KevinDavis
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To: markman46; AntiKev; wastedyears; ALOHA RONNIE; RightWhale; anymouse; Brett66; SunkenCiv; ...

2 posted on 12/14/2008 6:22:17 PM PST by KevinDavis (Thomas Jefferson: A little rebellion now and then is a good thing)
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To: KevinDavis

No there’s a rocket engine. Go Ad Astra!


3 posted on 12/14/2008 6:24:52 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: KevinDavis

Plasma fuel to be collected after speeches by prominent Liberals.


4 posted on 12/14/2008 6:25:01 PM PST by wastedyears ("Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne)
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To: KevinDavis
Awesome! Hope things work out as planned.


5 posted on 12/14/2008 6:27:21 PM PST by OCC
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To: KevinDavis


Ad Astra Rocket Company



Cool!
6 posted on 12/14/2008 6:28:41 PM PST by Islander7 (This Atlas is shrugging! ~ I am Joe!)
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To: Red Steel

No = Now LoL!


7 posted on 12/14/2008 6:31:39 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: OCC
Other than that one misplaced thingie, it looks like it should work.
8 posted on 12/14/2008 6:32:36 PM PST by econjack (Some people are as dumb as soup.)
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To: KevinDavis

Pretty damned cool.


9 posted on 12/14/2008 6:36:44 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: KevinDavis

Interesting.


10 posted on 12/14/2008 6:39:25 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: Islander7

Where’s the warp core and the dilithium crystals?


11 posted on 12/14/2008 6:46:41 PM PST by reg45
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To: reg45
Where’s the warp core and the dilithium crystals?

This is an impulse engine, not a warp drive. Enterprise had both.

12 posted on 12/14/2008 7:05:23 PM PST by Greysard
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To: KevinDavis

Add muffler bearings and it will work fine.


13 posted on 12/14/2008 7:08:15 PM PST by Tigen
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To: Greysard; All

Which would make a trip to Mars a bit shorter..


14 posted on 12/14/2008 7:10:02 PM PST by KevinDavis (Thomas Jefferson: A little rebellion now and then is a good thing)
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To: KevinDavis

Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket — thanks KD, using one of these to push a probe (a very durable, very capable, long-lived probe) beyond the heliopause would be a good idea.


15 posted on 12/14/2008 7:34:23 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______Profile finally updated Saturday, December 6, 2008 !!!)
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To: Greysard

Actually it’s ion propulsion.


16 posted on 12/15/2008 4:23:57 PM PST by reg45
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