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This Defense Intelligence Reference Document, dated 1 November 2010, was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency's Defense Warning Office under the Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Applications program. It reviews fusion plasma physics, confinement methods and propulsion concepts that use aneutronic fusion fuels such as hydrogen and boron-11. It concludes that pulsed DPF or IEC thrusters may replace satellite ion thrusters in the near term. It also finds that aneutronic fusion propulsion will not be practical beyond the solar system without breakthrough propulsion physics.
From the source:Release of 2026-09-18 Incident: 11/1/10, Las Vegas, Nevada. Released with redactions. This document is a Defense Intelligence Reference Document (DIRD), a technical reference format used by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to capture baseline knowledge on a specific topic for later analytic use. DIRDs are best understood as reference and synthesis products rather than as original research. It is one of 38 DIRDs produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) between 2009 and 2011. Because AAWSAP’s scope permitted a broad range of supporting topics, not every DIRD in the series directly concerns aerospace systems or future threat assessment. The following summary reflects the DIRD’s scope and framing at the time of writing and should not be read as implying current validation of the concepts discussed. This DIRD revisits aneutronic fusion propulsion in a more systems-oriented manner, arguing that fusion concepts using low-neutron fuels such as proton-boron or helium-3 could become attractive for space propulsion because they reduce shielding burdens and may support direct conversion of charged-particle energy into thrust or onboard power. The report reviews the relevant fusion plasma physics and focuses on several candidate confinement approaches, then connects those concepts to possible applications in near-space, orbital, and interplanetary propulsion. It presents the most plausible nearer-term use as very high-power electric or plasma propulsion for satellites and deep-space missions rather than atmospheric flight or interstellar travel, while emphasizing that major obstacles remain in ignition, sustained confinement, system mass, power handling, fuel storage, launch integration, and end-to-end engineering.
UNCLASSIFIED/ /FOR OFFICl,CL tl.!l!! 8HLY Chapter 7: Conclusions Much of the groundwork (literally) for aneutronic fusion propulsion has been accomplished, including conducting fusion experiments, development of design concepts, and the analysis of applications to aerospace propulsion. Transitioning these concepts to space is an immense challenge given the large mass, power requirements, and support engineering for power conversion, energy recovery, and fuel storage. This transition, however, may depend upon the success of the developments of privately funded ventures attempting to develop terrestrial power. Notwithstanding such developments, their application for both military and space or near-space applications requires a much lower threshold for return on investment than terrestrial power. Pulsed-powered DPF or IEC aneutronic fusion thrusters may have near-term applications to replace current satellite ion thrusters. This could be extended to the very high-power domain of beam-assisted FRC for manned interplanetary flight. The near space domain will require major improvements in technology to reduce system mass since the size enters the MW range. The application to the aircraft domain will require further developments in technology to reduce system mass and/or the use of DT fuels, which present other potential safety issues. Aneutronic fusion propulsion will not be practical beyond the solar system unless breakthrough propulsion physics is developed that can assist the flight to the next stellar system where fusion thrusters can then be used. Whether it is reducing rows and rows of capacitor banks to pulse generators, shrinking immense superconducting magnets to a more compact and lightweight geometry, or engineering integrated fusion propulsion systems to fit onto a booster rocket, the physicists who pioneered much of the reactor and propulsion technology must now work side-by-side with the space systems companies to explore viable propulsion systems from implementation to on-orbit maintenance and attitude control. The future needs to be focused more on science and engineering and less on science fiction. UNCLASSIFIED/ /FOR OFFICIA.k lal&E 8HL'I 30
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Official release, from the pursue 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.