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Oct. 21st, 2004 02:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theweaselkingAdvocates of a propulsion idea for spacecraft claim that it would enable a 90-day round trip to Mars.
It would use a space station to fire a beam of magnetised particles at a solar sail mounted on a spacecraft.
This plasma beam would then make use of repulsive forces to propel the spacecraft along at high speeds.
Project leader Robert Winglee of the University of Washington estimates that a control nozzle 32m wide would generate a plasma beam capable of propelling a spacecraft at 11.7km/second.
"We're trying to get to Mars and back in 90 days. Our philosophy is that, if it's going to take two-and-a-half years, the chances of a successful mission are pretty low," he said.
However, to make such high speeds practical, another plasma unit would have to be stationed on a platform at the other end of the trip to apply brakes to the spacecraft.
"Rather than a spacecraft having to carry these big powerful propulsion units, you can have much smaller payloads," Professor Winglee explained.
He added that these units could be placed around the Solar System by Nasa missions currently in the pipeline. Units placed further out in the Solar System would use nuclear power to create the ionized plasma, while those closer to the Sun would be able to use electricity generated by solar panels.
It would use a space station to fire a beam of magnetised particles at a solar sail mounted on a spacecraft.
This plasma beam would then make use of repulsive forces to propel the spacecraft along at high speeds.
Project leader Robert Winglee of the University of Washington estimates that a control nozzle 32m wide would generate a plasma beam capable of propelling a spacecraft at 11.7km/second.
"We're trying to get to Mars and back in 90 days. Our philosophy is that, if it's going to take two-and-a-half years, the chances of a successful mission are pretty low," he said.
However, to make such high speeds practical, another plasma unit would have to be stationed on a platform at the other end of the trip to apply brakes to the spacecraft.
"Rather than a spacecraft having to carry these big powerful propulsion units, you can have much smaller payloads," Professor Winglee explained.
He added that these units could be placed around the Solar System by Nasa missions currently in the pipeline. Units placed further out in the Solar System would use nuclear power to create the ionized plasma, while those closer to the Sun would be able to use electricity generated by solar panels.
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Date: 2004-10-21 09:50 pm (UTC)That means a kilogram of mass can add 60 m/s to a ton...