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NASA has selected 12 Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) to advance concept studies and technology development projects in the areas of advanced propulsion, habitation and small satellites.
Selected advanced electric propulsion projects will develop propulsion technology systems in the 50- to 300-kilowatt range to meet the needs of a variety of deep space mission concepts. State-of-the-art electric propulsion technology currently employed by NASA generates less than five kilowatts, and systems being developed for the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Broad Area Announcement (BAA) are in the 40-kilowatt range.
The three NextSTEP advanced propulsion projects, $400,000 to $3.5 million per year per award, will have no more than a three-year performance period focused on ground testing efforts. NASA required a minimum of 50% cost sharing and/or matching for the proposed efforts, which may include prior industry investment.
The selected companies are:
* Ad Astra Rocket Company of Webster, Texas
* MSNW LLC of Redmond, Washington
* Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. of Redmond, Washington
only in the broadest terms. it does work with plasma like an ion drive. but the scale is vastly different. ion drives are much smaller. Vasimr is closer to what typically think of as a rocket motor in size. vasimr can balance specific impulse with thrust. so it can operate as efficiently as an ion engines when speed is not an issue but can go into a moderate mode and a high thrust mode. also VASIMR scales up with the power input. so while slow SEP transits are possible at 200 KW or much less; it can go extremely fast and make a mars transit in 39 days with a NEP nuclear or fusion power source. However as currently designed VASIMR is losing ground against the latest generations of some ion thrusters. what all of this means is the old saw that ion drives aren't suited for certain things like getting off planet from the ground will eventaully be nonsense. for example the ELF thruster which already dwarfs VASIMR can operate in the upper atmosphere and therefor in the gravity well of a planet. just give all of this stuff a few more generations of development and one day you may see blue glowy stuff ( I love blue glowy stuff) coming out of the engine of a rocket taking off the ground for orbit.
originally posted by: johnwick
a reply to: lostbook
What's the difference between vasmr and an ion drive?
Don't they basically do the same thing?
NASA tested that a few years ago.
originally posted by: game over man
I still don't know how to embed a picture but from the link the description seems really similar to how conspiracy theorist describe the workings of a flying saucer, with superconducting magnets, plasma, ionization, etc...sounds pretty similar...except they use mercury I believe but the propulsion seems similar? S&F
originally posted by: johnwick
a reply to: lostbook
What's the difference between vasmr and an ion drive?
Don't they basically do the same thing?