A Realistic Interstellar Explorer A
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Nasa Tm X-1864 *
NASA TECHNICAL. • £HP2fKit NASA TM X-1864 * ... MEMORANDUM oo fe *' > ;ff f- •* '• . ;.*• f PROPULSION • FOR *MANN1D E30PLORATION-k '* *Of THE SOEAE " • » £ Moedkel • - " *' ' ' y Lem$ Research Center Cleveland, Qbt® NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SFACE ADMINISTRATION • WASHINGTON, D. €, * AUCUST 1969 NASA TM X-1864 PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR MANNED EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM By W. E. Moeckel Lewis Research Center Cleveland, Ohio NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION For sale by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and. Technical Information Springfield, Virginia 22151 - CFSTI price $3.00 ABSTRACT What propulsion systems are in sight for fast interplanetary travel? Only a few show promise of reducing trip times to values comparable to those of 16th century terrestrial expeditions. The first portion of this report relates planetary round-trip times to the performance parameters of two types of propulsion systems: type I is specific-impulse limited (with high thrust), and type n is specific-mass limited (with low thrust). The second part of the report discusses advanced propulsion concepts of both types and evaluates their limitations. The discussion includes nuclear-fission . rockets (solid, liquid, and gaseous core), nuclear-pulse propulsion, nuclear-electric rockets, and thermonuclear-fusion rockets. Particular attention is given to the last of these, because it is less familiar than the others. A general conclusion is that the more advanced systems, if they prove feasible, will reduce trip time to the near planets by factors of 3 to 5, and will make several outer planets accessible to manned exploration. PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR MANNED EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM* byW. E. Moeckel Lewis Research Center SUMMARY What propulsion systems are in sight for fast interplanetary travel? Only a few show promise of reducing trip times to values comparable to those of 16th century terrestrial expeditions. -
Pulsed Fusion Space Propulsion: Computational Ideal Magneto-Hydro Dynamics of a Magnetic Flux Compression Reaction Chamber
Pulsed Fusion Space Propulsion: Computational Ideal Magneto-Hydro Dynamics of a Magnetic Flux Compression Reaction Chamber G. Romanelli Master of Science Thesis Space Systems Engineering PULSED FUSION SPACE PROPULSION: COMPUTATIONAL IDEAL MAGNETO-HYDRO DYNAMICS OFA MAGNETIC FLUX COMPRESSION REACTION CHAMBER by Gherardo ROMANELLI to obtain the degree of Master of Science at the Delft University of Technology, to be defended publicly on Friday February 26, 2016 at 10:00 AM. Student number: 4299876 Thesis committee: Dr. A. Cervone, TU Delft, supervisor Prof. Dr. E. K. A. Gill, TU Delft Dr. Ir. E. Mooij, TU Delft Prof. A. Mignone, Politecnico di Torino An electronic version of this thesis is available at http://repository.tudelft.nl/. To boldly go where no one has gone before. James T. Kirk ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. A. Cervone who has always sup- ported me despite my “quite exotic” interests. He left me completely autonomous in shaping my thesis project, and still, was always there every time I needed help. Then, I would of course like to thank Prof. A. Mignone who decided to give his contribute to this seemingly crazy project of mine. His advice arrived just in time to give an happy ending to this story. Il ringraziamento più grande, però, va di certo alla mia famiglia. Alla mia mamma e a mio babbo, perché hanno sempre avuto fiducia in me e non hanno mai chiesto ragioni o spiegazioni alle mie scelte. Ai miei nonni, perché se di punto in bianco, un giorno di novembre ho deciso di intraprendere questa lunga strada verso l’Olanda, l’ho potuto fare anche per merito loro. -
Breakthrough Propulsion Study Assessing Interstellar Flight Challenges and Prospects
Breakthrough Propulsion Study Assessing Interstellar Flight Challenges and Prospects NASA Grant No. NNX17AE81G First Year Report Prepared by: Marc G. Millis, Jeff Greason, Rhonda Stevenson Tau Zero Foundation Business Office: 1053 East Third Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Prepared for: NASA Headquarters, Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Washington, DC 20546 June 2018 Millis 2018 Grant NNX17AE81G_for_CR.docx pg 1 of 69 ABSTRACT Progress toward developing an evaluation process for interstellar propulsion and power options is described. The goal is to contrast the challenges, mission choices, and emerging prospects for propulsion and power, to identify which prospects might be more advantageous and under what circumstances, and to identify which technology details might have greater impacts. Unlike prior studies, the infrastructure expenses and prospects for breakthrough advances are included. This first year's focus is on determining the key questions to enable the analysis. Accordingly, a work breakdown structure to organize the information and associated list of variables is offered. A flow diagram of the basic analysis is presented, as well as more detailed methods to convert the performance measures of disparate propulsion methods into common measures of energy, mass, time, and power. Other methods for equitable comparisons include evaluating the prospects under the same assumptions of payload, mission trajectory, and available energy. Missions are divided into three eras of readiness (precursors, era of infrastructure, and era of breakthroughs) as a first step before proceeding to include comparisons of technology advancement rates. Final evaluation "figures of merit" are offered. Preliminary lists of mission architectures and propulsion prospects are provided. -
Deuterium – Tritium Pulse Propulsion with Hydrogen As Propellant and the Entire Space-Craft As a Gigavolt Capacitor for Ignition
Deuterium – Tritium pulse propulsion with hydrogen as propellant and the entire space-craft as a gigavolt capacitor for ignition. By F. Winterberg University of Nevada, Reno Abstract A deuterium-tritium (DT) nuclear pulse propulsion concept for fast interplanetary transport is proposed utilizing almost all the energy for thrust and without the need for a large radiator: 1. By letting the thermonuclear micro-explosion take place in the center of a liquid hydrogen sphere with the radius of the sphere large enough to slow down and absorb the neutrons of the DT fusion reaction, heating the hydrogen to a fully ionized plasma at a temperature of ~ 105 K. 2. By using the entire spacecraft as a magnetically insulated gigavolt capacitor, igniting the DT micro-explosion with an intense GeV ion beam discharging the gigavolt capacitor, possible if the space craft has the topology of a torus. 1. Introduction The idea to use the 80% of the neutron energy released in the DT fusion reaction for nuclear micro-bomb rocket propulsion, by surrounding the micro-explosion with a thick layer of liquid hydrogen heated up to 105 K thereby becoming part of the exhaust, was first proposed by the author in 1971 [1]. Unlike the Orion pusher plate concept, the fire ball of the fully ionized hydrogen plasma can here be reflected by a magnetic mirror. The 80% of the energy released into 14MeV neutrons cannot be reflected by a magnetic mirror for thermonuclear micro-bomb propulsion. This was the reason why for the Project Daedalus interstellar probe study of the British Interplanetary Society [2], the neutron poor deuterium-helium 3 (DHe3) reaction was chosen. -
Planetary Science with an Interstellar Probe
EPSC Abstracts Vol. 13, EPSC-DPS2019-262-2, 2019 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 c Author(s) 2019. CC Attribution 4.0 license. Planetary science with an Interstellar Probe Kathleen Mandt, Kirby Runyon, Ralph McNutt, Pontus Brandt, Michael Paul, and Abigail Rymer Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA, ([email protected]) Abstract a) The Heliosphere as a Habitable Astrosphere: Characterize the heliosphere and the The space science community has maintained an interstellar medium to understand other ongoing interest in exploration of interstellar space for astrospheres harboring potentially habitable several decades. In 2016, Congressional language stellar-exoplanetary environments. encouraged NASA to take the enabling steps for an b) Formation and Evolution of Planetary Interstellar scientific probe. In 2018, a study was Systems: Explore the properties of Dwarf initiated targeting 1000 AU within 50 years using Planets, KBO worlds, giant planets, and the current or near-term technology. The ultimate goal of large scale structure of the circum-solar debris this study is to define a mission that would be feasible disk. to launch in the 2030’s, enabling humanity to take the c) Early Evolution of Galaxies: Uncover the first explicit step in to interstellar space scientifically, diffuse extragalactic background light. technically and programmatically. Although the d) Exoplanet Context: Explore the worlds of our primary goal of an Interstellar Probe would be to solar system as exoplanets. understand the heliosphere and the very local interstellar medium (VLISM), a probe designed to exit the solar system and explore interstellar space 1.1 Kuiper Belt Objectives provides a prime opportunity for planetary science. -
Space Propulsion.Pdf
Deep Space Propulsion K.F. Long Deep Space Propulsion A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight K.F. Long Bsc, Msc, CPhys Vice President (Europe), Icarus Interstellar Fellow British Interplanetary Society Berkshire, UK ISBN 978-1-4614-0606-8 e-ISBN 978-1-4614-0607-5 DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-0607-5 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London Library of Congress Control Number: 2011937235 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) This book is dedicated to three people who have had the biggest influence on my life. My wife Gemma Long for your continued love and companionship; my mentor Jonathan Brooks for your guidance and wisdom; my hero Sir Arthur C. Clarke for your inspirational vision – for Rama, 2001, and the books you leave behind. Foreword We live in a time of troubles. -
A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense Abstract We Argue That It Is Essential Fo
LA-UR-15-23198 A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense G. A. Wurden1, T. E. Weber1, P. J. Turchi2, P. B. Parks3, T. E. Evans3, S. A. Cohen4, J. T. Cassibry5, E. M. Campbell6 1Los Alamos National Laboratory 2Santa Fe, NM 3General Atomics 4Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory 5University of Alabama, Huntsville 6Sandia National Laboratory Abstract We argue that it is essential for the fusion energy program to identify an imagination- capturing critical mission by developing a unique product which could command the marketplace. We lay out the logic that this product is a fusion rocket engine, to enable a rapid response capable of deflecting an incoming comet, to prevent its impact on the planet Earth, in defense of our population, infrastructure, and civilization. As a side benefit, deep space solar system exploration, with greater speed and orders-of-magnitude greater payload mass would also be possible. The US Department of Energy’s magnetic fusion research program, based in its Office of Science, focuses on plasma and fusion science1 to support the long term goal of environmentally friendly, socially acceptable, and economically viable electricity production from fusion reactors.2 For several decades the US magnetic fusion program has had to deal with a lack of urgency towards and inconsistent funding for this ambitious goal. In many American circles, fusion isn’t even at the table3 when it comes to discussing future energy production. Is there another, more urgent, unique, and even more important application for fusion? Fusion’s unique application As an on-board power source and thruster for fast propulsion in space,4 a fusion reactor would provide unparalleled performance (high specific impulse and high specific power) for a spacecraft. -
Unique Heliophysics Science Opportunities Along the Interstellar Probe Journey up to 1000 AU from the Sun
EGU21-10504, updated on 02 Oct 2021 https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10504 EGU General Assembly 2021 © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unique heliophysics science opportunities along the Interstellar Probe journey up to 1000 AU from the Sun Elena Provornikova1, Pontus C. Brandt1, Ralph L. McNutt, Jr.1, Robert DeMajistre1, Edmond C. Roelof1, Parisa Mostafavi1, Drew Turner1, Matthew E. Hill1, Jeffrey L. Linsky2, Seth Redfield3, Andre Galli4, Carey Lisse1, Kathleen Mandt1, Abigail Rymer1, and Kirby Runyon1 1Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA 2JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Boulder, CO, USA 3Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA 4University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Switzerland The Interstellar Probe is a space mission to discover physical interactions shaping globally the boundary of our Sun`s heliosphere and its dynamics and for the first time directly sample the properties of the local interstellar medium (LISM). Interstellar Probe will go through the boundary of the heliosphere to the LISM enabling for the first time to explore the boundary with a dedicated instrumentation, to take the image of the global heliosphere by looking back and explore in-situ the unknown LISM. The pragmatic concept study of such mission with a lifetime 50 years that can be implemented by 2030 was funded by NASA and has been led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The study brought together a diverse community of more than 400 scientists and engineers spanning a wide range of science disciplines across the world. Compelling science questions for the Interstellar Probe mission have been with us for many decades. -
Hyperspace NASA BPP Program Books 8
Advanced Space Propulsion Concepts for Interstellar Travel Gregory V. Meholic [email protected] Planets HR 8799 140 LY 11/14/08 Updated 9/25/2019 1 Presentation Objectives and Caveats ▪ Provide a high-level, “evolutionary”, information-only overview of various propulsion technology concepts that, with sufficient development (i.e. $), may lead mankind to the stars. ▪ Only candidate concepts for a vehicle’s primary interstellar propulsion system will be discussed. No attitude control No earth-to-orbit launch No traditional electric systems No sail-based systems No beamed energy ▪ None of the following will be given, assumed or implied: Recommendations on specific mission designs Developmental timelines or cost estimates ▪ Not all propulsion options will be discussed – that would be impossible! 2 Chapters 1. The Ultimate Space Mission 2. The Solar System and Beyond 3. Challenges of Human Star Flight 4. “Rocket Science” Basics 5. Conventional Mass Ejection Propulsion Systems State-of-the-Art Possible Improvements 6. Alternative Mass Ejection Systems Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fusion Matter/Antimatter Other Concepts 7. Physics-Based Concepts Definitions and Things to Remember Space-Time Warp Drives Fundamental Force Coupling Alternate Dimension / Hyperspace NASA BPP Program Books 8. Closing Information 3 Chapter 1: The Ultimate Space Mission 4 The Ultimate Space Mission For humans to travel to the stars and return to Earth within a “reasonable fraction” (around 15 years) of a human lifetime. ▪ Why venture beyond our Solar System? Because we have to - humans love to explore!!! Visit the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud – Theoretical home to long-period comets Investigate the nature of the interstellar medium and its influence on the solar system (and vice versa) – Magnetic fields, low-energy galactic cosmic rays, composition, etc. -
Fusion Rockets for Planetary Defense
| Los Alamos National Laboratory | Fusion Rockets for Planetary Defense Glen Wurden Los Alamos National Laboratory PPPL Colloquium March 16, 2016 LA-UR-16-21396 LA-UR-15-xxxx UNCLASSIFIED Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's NNSA | Los Alamos National Laboratory | My collaborators on this topic: T. E. Weber1, P. J. Turchi2, P. B. Parks3, T. E. Evans3, S. A. Cohen4, J. T. Cassibry5, E. M. Campbell6 . 1Los Alamos National Laboratory . 2Santa Fe, NM . 3General Atomics . 4Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory . 5University of Alabama, Huntsville . 6LLE, University of Rochester, Rochester Wurden et al., Journal of Fusion Energy, Vol. 35, 1, 123 (2016) UNCLASSIFIED Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's NNSA | Los Alamos National Laboratory | How many ways is electricity made today? Primary Energy Source Nominally CO2 Free Current capacity (%) Expected Lifetime (yrs) Natural Gas no 100 Coal no 80.6 400 Oil no < 50 Biomass neutral 11.4 > 400 Wind yes 0.5 > 1000 Solar photovoltaic yes 0.06 > 1000 Solar thermal yes 0.17 > 1000 Hydro yes 3.3 > 1000 Wave/Tidal yes 0.001 > 1000 Geothermal yes 0.12 > 1000 Nuclear fission yes 2.7 > 400 [i] REN21–Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century Renewables 2012–Global Status Report, 2012, http://www.map.ren21.net/GSR/GSR2012.pdf , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_development UNCLASSIFIED Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's NNSA | Los Alamos National Laboratory | What is the most important product that fusion could deliver? . -
Propulsion Systems for Interstellar Exploration
The Future of Electric Propulsion: A Young Visionary Paper Competition 35th International Electric Propulsion Conference October 8-12, 2017 Atlanta, Georgia Propulsion Systems for Interstellar Exploration Steven L. Magnusen Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA Alfredo D. Tuesta∗ National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate, Washington, DC, USA [email protected] August 4, 2017 Abstract The idea of manned spaceships exploring nearby star systems, although difficult and unlikely in this generation or the next, is becoming less a tale of science fiction and more a concept of rigorous scientific interest. In 2003, NASA sent two rovers to Mars and returned images and data that would change our view of the planet forever. Already, scientists and engineers are proposing concepts for manned missions to the Red Planet. As we prepare to visit the planets in our solar system, we dare to explore the possibilities and venues to travel beyond. With NASA’s count of known exoplanets now over 3,000 and growing, interest in interstellar science is being renewed as well. In this work, the authors discuss the benefits and deficiencies of current and emerging technologies in electric propulsion for outer planet and extrasolar exploration and propose innovative and daring concepts to further the limits of present engineering. The topics covered include solar and electric sails and beamed energy as propulsion systems. I. Introduction Te Puke is the name for the voyaging canoe that the Polynesians developed to sail across vast distances in the Pacific Ocean at the turn of the first millennium. This primitive yet sophisticated canoe, made of two hollowed out tree trunks and crab claw sails woven together from leaves, allowed Polynesian sailors to navigate the open ocean by studying the stars. -
Interstellar Probe to Explore the Sun's Influences Propagating Beyond The
Interstellar Probe to Explore the Sun’s Influences Propagating Beyond the Heliosphere Parisa Mostafavi�, G. P. Zank�, D. J. McComas�, L. Burgala4, J. Richardson5, G. Webb2, E. Provornikova1, P. Brandt1 1. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, 2. University of Alabama in Huntsville, 3. Princeton University, 4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Introduction The heliosphere is controlled by the motion of the Sun through the interstellar space. Although humankind has explored the region of space about the Earth quite extensively, the distant heliosphere beyond the planets remains almost entirely unexplored with only the two Voyager spacecraft, New Horizons, and the early Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft returning the in-situ observations of this most distant region. Moreover, remote observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) at 1 au and Cassini/INCA at 10 au revealed interesting structure related to the interstellar medium. Voyager 1 and 2 crossed the heliopause in 2012 and 2018, respectively, and are both continue to make in-situ measurements of the very local interstellar medium (VLISM; the nearby region of the LISM affected by physical processes associated with the heliosphere) for the first time. Voyager 1 and 2 have identified and partially answered many interesting questions about the outer heliosphere and the VLISM while raising numerous new questions, many of which have profound implications for the detailed structure and properties of the heliosphere and our place in the galaxy. One particularly interesting topic is the influence of the large-scale disturbances and small-scale turbulences generated by the dynamical Sun on the VLISM.