Documents / Report
This Defense Intelligence Agency reference document, dated 1 November 2010, is one of a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2010 under the Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It covers fusion plasma physics, confinement methods, and propulsion concepts that use aneutronic fuels such as hydrogen and boron-11. It concludes that such thrusters may soon replace satellite ion thrusters. It also finds that they will not be practical beyond the solar system without breakthrough propulsion physics.
UNCLASSIFIED/ ,SFIHl 8FFHil.t.k Wfili 8Hklf capable of either generating low-thrust, high-specific-impulse exhaust or relatively high-thrust, low-specific-impulse exhaust. The intention of the VASIMR design is to bridge the gap between high-thrust, low-specific-impulse propulsion systems and low- thrust, high-specific-impulse systems. AdAstra is currently testing the VX-200 engine (a 200-kW engine). The power distribution is as follows: A helicon discharge uses 30 kWe (kilowatts, electrica1)for ionizing the argon gas using RF waves and uses 170 kWe for powering the ion cyclotron resonance to heat and accelerate plasma in the second part of the engine. The specific impulse is optimally ~5,000 seconds, with a specific power of ~1.5 kg/kW. The mass of the VX-200 engine is estimated at ~300 kg. NASA intends to test this engine on the International Space Station using a large battery to power it during the tests. 16 UNCLASSIFIED//Flilll. lilFFUililtle lal!il!! 8Hl!V
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 36 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.