Mars in 39 day trip: Potential new propulsion for spacecraft - in development

[Tac]

Hellz YEAH   

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100226/sc_afp/usspacenasamars

[Strip]

Wow, this technology is not very new, certainly anything of this power level is cutting edge though.

I wonder if its solar or nuclear powered?

Strip

[soda72]

Well it certainly would make traveling within our own solar system much more feasible...

[APDrone]

 

Substances at 10million degrees+  being manipulated and directed by magnetic fields??

"This is your captain speaking.. Don't even THINK of using an electronic device during the duration of this flight.."

[batch]

its a real shame that the primary mission for NASA has been changed from space to proving global warming

[Tupac]

Substances at 10million degrees+  being manipulated and directed by magnetic fields??

"This is your captain speaking.. Don't even THINK of using an electronic device during the duration of this flight.."

LOL

[Chalenge]

VASIMR technology is also a relatively fragile system that could quickly end the lives of the astronauts on the mission should a high speed particle hit the engine since 60% of its length is critical to safe operation. You could not have school teachers on that ride!

[trax1]

Yeah NASA has been tinkering around with this type of technology for awhile now, it's basically an Ion propulsion engine, they've already tested one on a space probe called "Deep Space 1".  You can read more about them here,

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/fs08grc.html

[Strip]

VASIMR technology is also a relatively fragile system that could quickly end the lives of the astronauts on the mission should a high speed particle hit the engine since 60% of its length is critical to safe operation. You could not have school teachers on that ride!

It would be no more at risk than any other type of propulsion system, if anything it would be less at risk. Nearly the entire length of the Apollo was critical to fulfilling its mission goals.

I do wonder how the computers will operate near such a highly magnetic device though.....

Strip

[trax1]

I do wonder how the computers will operate near such a highly magnetic device though.....

Strip

I'm sure they'd have some kind of shielding, I mean it didn't effect the computers on-board the Deep Space 1 probe, and that used an Ion engine which had powerful magnets.

[Strip]

I hear what your saying but Deep Space 1 propulsion was magnitudes smaller than what this might entail.

I will be hoping for progression with this new system in the near future!

 

Strip

[mensa180]

Don't use magnetic hard drives.

Probably showing my ignorance of the subject here .

[Chalenge]

It would be no more at risk than any other type of propulsion system, if anything it would be less at risk. Nearly the entire length of the Apollo was critical to fulfilling its mission goals.

I do wonder how the computers will operate near such a highly magnetic device though.....

Strip

The Apollo engines were of limited duration but you made my point anyway even if I didnt state it loudly enough... The era of the original astronauts really being pioneers of space and requiring the 'right stuff' will return with this type of space craft.

[Heater]

link to one of the images of the VX-200 prototype VASLMR engine

http://chattahbox.com/images/2009/10/vasimr-system.jpg

[RTHolmes]

not exactly new, heres an ion thruster engine from ... 1959!