The threestage system features an rf driven plasma generatorinjector. Electromagnetic ion cyclotron resonance heating in the vasimr. This is a very similar concept in many ways to the ion drive, in that it uses the electrostatic effect to accelerate propellant, but the mechanism is very different. For example, the high thrust mode can be used to rapidly move and point very massive spacecraft, while the high specific impulse mode can provide extremely accurate pointing of the. Vasimr is a high power, radio frequencydriven magnetoplasma rocket, capable of ispthrust modulation at constant power. Hts magnets for advanced magnetoplasma space propulsion. Mar 02, 2020 several forms of electromagnetic propulsion have been researched and developed, such as the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket, pulsed inductive thrusters, and the electrodeless plasma thruster. It is variablespecificimpulse magnetoplasma rocket.
In this study, we analyze the power storage systems needed for operational tests of a variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr on the international space station iss. Nov 16, 2012 american institute of aeronautics and astronautics 12700 sunrise valley drive, suite 200 reston, va 201915807 703. The maximum amplitude of all waves is in the center of the plasma and does not. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket core. While a lot of things have changed in over 40 years, todays spacecraft are still traveling at about the same speed that john glenn did when he became the first american to orbit the earth in 1962. Nasa new rocket technology could cut mars travel time. Nasas new vasimr plasma engine could reach mars in 39 days. Space exploration can greatly benefit from the highpower electric propulsion capabilities the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr provides. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is a high power magnetoplasma rocket, capable of ispthrust modulation at constant power. He founded ad astra in 2005 to work on vasimr, the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket. An electrodeless design enables the rocket to operate at power densities much greater than those of more conventional magnetoplasma or ion engines.
Hi, i was reading about vasimr,my knowledge in rocket science is very limited,i was able to understand how plasma is produced and used for propulsion but i didnt understand how specific impulse is varied and why is it not possible for other ionthrusters or even chemical ones to vary the. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket or vasimr could cut space travel time by nearly a sixth of the time currently required. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is a highpower propulsion concept using radio waves to create and accelerate plasma in a magnetic nozzle. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket artists impression of multimegawatt vasimr spacecraft the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an electromagnetic thruster for spacecraft propulsion. Decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster.
It is a plasma propulsion engine, one of several types of spacecraft electric propulsion systems. In one embodiment, the source of plasma is a helicon generator. Hts coils cooled by the propellant are desirable to increase the energy efficiency of the system. Propulsion magnetoplasmique a impulsion specifique variable. Variable thrust and specific impulse engines such as described in this invention can also provide advantageous capabilities in attitude control of a space vehicle. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr, currently under development by ad astra rocket company webster, tx, is a unique propulsion system that could change the way space propulsion is performed. Plasma propulsion pdf variablespecificimpulse magnetoplasma rocket tech. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket engine the. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket ijert. Several forms of electromagnetic propulsion have been researched and developed, such as the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket, pulsed inductive thrusters, and the electrodeless plasma thruster. Variablespecificimpulse magnetoplasma rocket how is. Vsimr variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket also. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket engine. Former astronaut launches kickstarter bid for plasma rocket.
Design of rf systems for the rtd mission vasimr unt digital. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and. The laboratory director is franklin changdiaz, a nasa astronaut who holds a doctorate in applied plasma physics and fusion technology from the massachusetts institute of technology. These processes include the mechanisms involved in the ion acceleration and heating that occur in the birkeland currents of an auroral arc system. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an electrothermal thruster under development for possible use in spacecraft propulsion. Variablespecificimpulse magnetoplasma rocket listed as vasimr. May 26, 2006 the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is a highpower propulsion concept using radio waves to create and accelerate plasma in a magnetic nozzle.
Vasimr stands for variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket also seen as vasimr suggest new definition this definition appears somewhat frequently and is found in the following acronym finder categories. Improved efficiency and throttling range of the vx200. An engine is disclosed, including a controllable output plasma generator, a controllable heater for selectably raising a temperature of the plasma connected to an outlet of the plasma generator, and a nozzle connected to an outlet of the heater, through which heated plasma is discharged to provide thrust. Sep 09, 2015 the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket is an electromagnetic thruster for spacecraft propulsion. This mission to map the radiation environment out to several earth radii will employ both a hall thruster and a vasimr during its six months duration, beginning from low earth orbit. A nasaled, research team is developing this technology in the u.
Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket written by. Vasimr stands for variablespecificimpulse magnetoplasma rocket also seen as vasimr suggest new definition this definition appears somewhat frequently and is. As an openended, rfheated, mirrorlike plasma device, the. The physics and engineering of this device have been under study since 1980. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an electrothermal thruster.
Power systems study for two variable specific impulse. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50 v input of a spectrum analyzer via a dc block a small capacitor. An aspect of the engine design that affords a capability to achieve both high and variable specific impulse i sp places the vasimr far ahead of anything available today. The specific impulse of a rocket can be defined in terms of thrust per unit mass flow of propellant. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr engine is a new type of electric thruster with many unique advantages. Testing of the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vx200 engine was performed over a wide throttle range in a 150 m3 vacuum chamber with sufficient pumping to permit exhaust plume measurements at argon background pressures less than 1. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket wikipedia. Us6334302b1 variable specific impulse magnetoplasma. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket. Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the. This is an equally valid and in some ways somewhat simpler way of defining the effectiveness of a rocket propellant. The invention relates to a magnetic nozzle of a variable specific impulse magnetic plasma rocket, aiming at solving the problem of speed waste during acceleration of a plasma body in an electric propulsion system and relating to the design technology of the magnetic nozzle of the variable specific impulse magnetic plasma rocket.
One of the most promising forms of electromagnetic propulsion, however, has been the magnetoplasmadynamic thruster. The first flight test of the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is tentatively scheduled for the radiation and technology demonstration rtd in 2003. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50. American institute of aeronautics and astronautics 12700 sunrise valley drive, suite 200 reston, va 201915807 703. Indira gandhi national open university, delhi, india. Design analysis of a high temperature radiator for the. Vasimr variablespecificimpulse magnetoplasma rocket also. Performance studies of the vasimr vx200 ad astra rocket.
Important features are its high and variable exhaust velocity, which greatly enhances performance. Nasas funding was part of the 12 next space technologies for exploration partnership. While the plasma is produced by a helicon discharge, the bulk of the energy is added in a separate downstream stage by ion cyclotron resonance heating icrh. In a vasimr engine, gas such as argon, xenon, or hydrogen is injected into a tube surrounded by a magnet and a series of two radio wave rf couplers the couplers turn cold gas into superheated plasma and the rockets magnetic nozzle converts the plasma. Jan 01, 2002 variable thrust and specific impulse engines such as described in this invention can also provide advantageous capabilities in attitude control of a space vehicle.
Vasimr engine variable specific impulse magnetoplasma. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr. For a rocket, the specific impulse defined in this way is simply the effective exhaust velocity relative to the rocket, v e. Abstract the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an openended, rfheated, magnetic mirrorlike plasma device. As advanced inspace propulsion moves from science fiction to reality, the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket, or vasimr engine, is a leading contender for making mars in a month a possibility. The threestage system features an rf driven plasma generatorinjector, an rf power booster and a hybrid magnetic nozzle.
Pdf vasimr engine variable specific impulse magnetoplasma. The plasma is produced by an integrated helicon discharge. Media in category vasimr the following 7 files are in this category, out of 7 total. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an electromagnetic thruster for spacecraft propulsion. Pdf the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an openended. It is variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket. One of these systems, the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr engine, both applies several important physical processes occurring in the magnetosphere. Research status of the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma. When the us was beginning to investigate the gridded ion drive, the soviet union was investigating the hall effect thruster het. Temperature estimation for a plasmapropelled rocket engine. However, its technology also paves the way for ignited plasma rockets powered by controlled thermonuclear fusion. As advanced space propulsion moves slowly from science fiction to achievable reality, the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket, or vasimr, is a leading contender for making mars in a. It uses radio waves to ionize and heat a propellant, and magnetic fields to.
Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket video. When combined with chemical rocket technologies in a flexible architecture, the vasimr allows new and dramatically improved mission scenarios to be considered. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocketvasimr. Pdf experimental status of the development of a variable. Cn102434414a magnetic nozzle of variable specific impulse. Apr 05, 2014 hi, i was reading about vasimr,my knowledge in rocket science is very limited,i was able to understand how plasma is produced and used for propulsion but i didnt understand how specific impulse is varied and why is it not possible for other ionthrusters or even chemical ones to vary the. Pdf this research about vasimr engine as history, work principle and future applications. Oct 18, 2004 decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster.
Rocket engineers love the idea of variable specific impulse, because it allows a spacecraft to behave more like a race car, adjusting its acceleration at each turn around a track. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is described. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket is an electromagnetic thruster for spacecraft propulsion. It uses radio waves to ionize a propellant and magnetic fields to accelerate the resulting plasma to generate thrust. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is an openended, rfheated, magnetic mirrorlike plasma device.
Design of a high temperature radiator for the variable. In a vasimr engine, gas such as argon, xenon, or hydrogen is injected into a tube surrounded by a magnet and a series of two radio wave rf couplers the couplers turn cold gas into superheated plasma and the rocket s magnetic nozzle converts the plasma. Its electrodeless design enables high power density. Us6334302b1 variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket. We describe a set of prototype hightemperature superconducting hts coils that are being considered for the vasimr variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket thruster proposed for testing on the radiation technology demonstration. A paradigm shift in space transportation, this book is an indepth and compelling story cowritten by its inventor. It uses radio waves to ionize and heat an inert propellant, then a magnetic field to accelerate the resulting plasma, generating thrust. This paper focuses on the operational details of the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket abbreviated as vasimr, which is basically a rocket using plasma as its mode of propulsion for accelerating itself into space over the conventional chemical.
Plasma propulsion for interplanetary flight sciencedirect. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket listed as vasimr. The variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr is a high power, radio frequencydriven magnetoplasma rocket, capable of exhaust modulation at constant power. Called the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket vasimr, the technology has been under development at johnsons advanced space propulsion laboratory.
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