Prometheus looks to nuke future (nuclear power and ion engines for deep space exploration)

BBC news ^ | 8 Mar 05 | Martin Redfern

[Arkie2]

This being a BBC report they failed to mention Deep Space One, the first use of an Ion engine by NASA. Other than that it's a very informative article about the direction of deep space exploration.

[Arkie2]

ping

[AntiGuv]

There will doubtless be protests and opposition to the use of nuclear power in space.

They should send the protesters along to 'monitor' the missions..

[chimera]

But, explains Prometheus project manager John Casani, "people are saying that the Jimo mission is so important, so high profile, maybe we should take a baby step before we take that giant step.

Pretty good spinning, there. Last I heard JIMO was being given the short shrift, essentially canceling ("deferring") the mission. And I have been working on parts of it, so it's a pretty firm rumor, as rumors go.

[Arkie2]

What is, or was, the plan for JIMO propulsion and power before it was cancelled/deferred?

[chimera]

A fast reactor for the power source, and 30 cm ion engines for propulsion. I was working on the rad-hard components for the PMAD systems. There is still some of that being done, but I don't know if it will ever fly as intended.

[Arkie2]

That's the setup discussed in this article. My impression was that the ion engine coupled with a nuke power plant was on the front burner for future deep space missions. Does the deferral of JIMO mean the research isn't going ahead with that combo or is the JIMO mission on hold for other reasons, like budget considerations.

[Wiz]

Let antimatter propulsion engines to be used. :)

[chimera]

I think its a programmatic issue. With the decision to focus on getting back to the moon, and eventually Mars (with a human presence, of course), some of these more "exotic" missions are being deferred (canceled).

Not that those program decisions are necessarily bad. I just wish this country had the vision and guts (like it used to) to do both. My guess is that some limited technology development will continue for awhile, anyway, but without a high profile mission as the driver, those efforts are usually limited and often fizzle out (like the SP-100 effort back in the 1980s).

[Waterleak]

To hell with all this space exploration stuff. Where's my flying car?!

[chimera]

I saw a prototype on Discovery Channel the other night. Some guy is trying to develop it for practical use. It's just a tad pricey right now.

[Bigh4u2]

Here ya go.

[Bigh4u2]

Oops!

[Bigh4u2]

Let's try that again.

[Bigh4u2]

Never mind!

here's the link

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.photoshopcafe.com/gallery/flying-car-new.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.photoshopcafe.com/gallery/newcar.htm&h=512&w=768&sz=40&tbnid=K_LH25Ljw3cJ:&tbnh=94&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflying%2Bcar%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D&oi=imagesr&start=1

[Arkie2]

I don't know how you feel about the manned missions but for the most part I think they're a colossal waste of resources. I didn't always feel that way. The ISS and the Shuttle problems changed my mind.

Unmanned exploration returns so much more knowledge than manned spaceflight that it's criminal to put funding into the manned moon/mars mission. Just my humble opinion.

[Plutarch]

It was radiation that caused Godzilla, which has destroyed Tokyo several times. God forbid Man introduces radiation into the Solar System, because the monsters that would thereby be created from the harmless aliens now peacefully inhabiting these planets would make our experience with Motha look like a Sunday picnic.

[Cincinatus]

Unmanned exploration returns so much more knowledge than manned spaceflight that it's criminal to put funding into the manned moon/mars mission.

That presuposes that science is the only driver for the space program.

The story of life on Earth is the story of extinction. Thus, in the long run, we need to develop the skills needed to survive and thrive off-planet. This makes human spaceflight an imperative. Space is about much more than exploration -- it's also about wealth creation and settlement.

[chimera]

FWIW I think both serve a useful purpose. One can legitimately question specific programs, but the manned/unmanned divide is largely artificial. True, there are some places people just can't go right now, so unmanned missions are the ticket. OTOH, having that "Mark I Organic Computer" in the field and on-station allows you tremendous flexibility. A comparison of the Apollo vs. Surveyor or Lunakhod returns gives you a feel for that.

There are no reasons other than lack of will (guts, courage, vision) that we can't do both.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Space is about much more than exploration -- it's also about wealth creation and settlement.

Yes the moon has some very valuable resources.....