What is a VASIMR engine and how does it work?
What is a VASIMR engine and how does it work?
The VASIMR engine could also even help protect astronauts from the dangerous effects of radiation during their trip. In the less-distant future, VASIMR could even help keep the International Space Station in orbit without requiring extra fuel to be brought up from Earth. Image to right: A VASIMR engine goes through many lab tests.
Is VASIMR the engine that will carry the first person to Mars?
Although VASIMR is still years away from being used in space, Chang-Diaz said that it has already shown great promise during tests on Earth. So, it is entirely possible that the engine that will carry the first person to Mars is already running in a laboratory on Earth.
What is the difference between VASIMR and NEXT ion thrusters?
In contrast, the conventional NEXT ion thruster produces 0.327 N with only 7.7 kW, or 24 kW/N. Electrically speaking, NEXT is almost twice as efficient, and successfully completed a 48,000 hours (5.5 years) test in December 2009. New problems also emerge with VASIMR, such as interaction with strong magnetic fields and thermal management.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Ypdxm7cSo
The VASIMR engine is able to vary its specific power and impulse. Like ion engines, it can operate for very long durations to provide slow but very economical propellant acceleration. It can also provide a very strong boost but less economical, provided you have a powerful source of electricity available.
What is the power of the VASIMR plasma engine in 2018?
The objective is to carry out in 2018 a test of continuous operation of the VASIMR plasma engine with a power of 100 kilowatts. One of the major challenges ahead is VASIMR’s power supply. In its current design, the engine is designed to operate optimally at a power of 200 kilowatts.
What are the challenges ahead for VASIMR?
One of the major challenges ahead is VASIMR’s power supply. In its current design, the engine is designed to operate optimally at a power of 200 kilowatts. But even the huge solar panels of the international space station can not provide a power greater than 120 kilowatts.
Who is responsible for VASIMR development?
As of 2010, Ad Astra Rocket Company (AARC) was responsible for VASIMR development, signing the first Space Act Agreement in 23 June 2005 to privatize VASIMR technology. Franklin Chang Díaz is Ad Astra’s chairman and CEO, and the company had a testing facility in Liberia, Costa Rica on the campus of Earth University.
