J. Condensed Matter Nucl. Sci. 29 (2019) 95–118
Research Article
Space Application of the GeNIE Hybrid
Fusion–Fission Generator
Lawrence P. Forsley∗
and Pamela A. Mosier-Boss
Global Energy Corporation, San Diego, CA 92123, USA
https://www.fulviofrisone.com/attachments/article/469/VOL%2029..pdf
Abstract
JWK Corporation and Global Energy Corporation (GEC) have spent the past two decades understanding and applying nuclear
reactions in condensed matter with the US Navy and NASA. The Navy cooperation resulted in US Patent, 8,419,919, System and
Method for Generating Particles. The use of this patent to fission uranium is described in a companion paper, Uranium Fission
Using Pd/D Co-deposition. GEC is applying this technology as a non-fissile reactor core suitable for deep-space power under its
second NASA Space Act Agreement. This paper discusses the need for space-based nuclear power, the alternatives, the hybrid
fusion-fast-reactor and the spaceflight readiness testing facilities.
1. Overview
NASA has used solar power for 50 years and nuclear power beginning three years later. Solar powered spacecraft are
generally limited to the inner Solar System out to Mars, with the exception of the 60 foot solar panel span of the JUNO
Jupiter orbiter. Other than the US SNAP-10 fission reactor, each of nearly 40 missions, including New Horizons to
Pluto, were powered by plutonium (238Pu) radioactive thermoelectric generators (RTG). Although run for decades as
seen with the now 41 years extended missions of the two Voyager spacecraft, RTGs provide less than 1 kW of electrical
power (kWe). Meanwhile the Soviets flew 31 fission reactors in low-earth orbit (LEO) each producing up to 10 kWe.
Unfortunately, the Kosmos-954 satellite came down over Northern Canada in 1978 and contaminated 124,000 km2 of
territory. Hence, there’s reluctance to fly fissile material and non-fissile RTGs as used on the Jupiter Galileo, Saturn
Cassini, Pluto New Horizons and Mars Curiosity spacecraft as well as the earlier Voyager and Pioneer Missions
Another need is to develop high Specific Impulse (Isp) propulsion exceeding chemical rocket efficiencies. Various
Hall Effect and Ion Drive systems have flown using solar power. Rather than expel oxidized propellant like a chemical
rocket, these systems ionize and exhaust heavy ions, like xenon. The ions can exit at 40 km/s vs. a chemical rocket
maximum exhaust of 7 km/s. However, it has long been recognized that neither solar nor RTGs can provide sufficient
power for driving larger ion engines for propelling voyages past the asteroid belt. Consequently, NASA has considered
higher power fission reactors for decades including the cancelled 500 kWt (>100 kWe) Project Prometheus [1] during
the mid-2000s and the current 43 kWt (10 kWe) Kilopower Program. The goal is to produce long duration, multi-kW
to multi-MW reactors for planetary probes, planetary surface power and manned nuclear electric propulsion as in the
movie, The Martian [4]. High power space nuclear reactors for thermal nuclear propulsion have also been tested but
not launched.
GEC has had two Space Act Agreements with NASA. The first was a prelude to the NASA Advanced Energy
Conversion Project (AEC) [2,3] under the Radioisotope Power System Program (RPS). The second GEC Space Act
Agreement is to develop a space-ready, non-fissile nuclear generator using thorium. Both Space Acts have been
conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), near Cleveland, OH, and at the Plum Brook Station, 45 miles
away outside Sandusky, Ohio with related work at JWK facilities in San Diego, CA and at the University of Texas,
Austin, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory. GRC developed ion engines, heat pipe thermal transport, advanced
Sterling Engines for power conversion and the KRUSTY fission reactor. Plum Brook provides space flight qualification
facilities for both launch and space conditions. Each of these facilities provides staff, equipment and facilities for GEC
to develop and test a non-fissile, deep space power generator suitable for long duration power and nuclear electric
propulsion.
for the cold fusion ping list
Thanks for putting this up. Seems like a lot of research is going in a lot of directions.
Don’t forget, Lockheed-Martin said they’d have fusion power working “maybe as soon as ten years” ; that was back in 2014.