Agreement to Commercialize Advanced NASA Rocket Concept

spaceref.com ^ | 01/23/06

[KevinDavis]

Excellent..........

[KevinDavis]

[Crazieman]

Oooh plasma engines

[Rockitz]

The environmental types are not going to like this since it will undoubtedly generate lots of NOx.

High temperature + N2 + O2 = NOx + ....

[KevinDavis]

To hell with the environmental types....

[Crazieman]

If we can live on mars, who cares

[Frank_Discussion]

The target gas is Hydrogen, no oxidizer. No NOx results.

[1ofmanyfree]

Plasma Power BUMP! Good post KD! More good info at ... http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/travelinginspace/future_propulsion.html

[steve8714]

en-gage

[xcamel]

VASIMR: (testbed)

[1ofmanyfree]

and also here...

http://science.howstuffworks.com/fusion-propulsion2.htm

[Kickass Conservative]

My HD Plasma TV is really jealous....

[KevinDavis]

Trying to find the companies web site....

[KevinDavis]

Here it is...

[BlueOneGolf]

"The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) is a type of propulsion system that produces a plasma exhaust at temperatures similar to those in the interior of the sun. The system may generate rocket thrust with performance hundreds of times higher than that of present chemical rockets. The increased performance could mean dramatic reductions in fuel requirements. While conventional rocket nozzles would melt under the extreme temperatures, VASIMR uses magnetic force fields to control and direct the plasma exhaust jet."

Sounds like "Impulse power" from Star Trek. Very cool...

[KevinDavis]

What is even cooler is that NASA agreed to commercialize the plasma rocket...

[anymouse]

The company is located within the confines of the NASA Johnson Space Center, ...

I like Dr. Chang-Diaz, but what makes this a commercial company? It's funding comes from NASA and it uses NASA's facilities. Sounds like NASA is giving Dr. Chang-Diaz a big golden parachute - with strings attached, of course.

[Lancer_N3502A]

Still think we need to develop an NTP engine.

[Rockitz]

The hot plume will convert the air through which the vehicle passes to NOx. This has been an issue with other chemical propulsion as well and this ultra-hot plume will be worse.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

So what powers the magnets?