Novel propulsion systems are one of the most important ways to push space exploration forward – literally. Traditional propulsion systems, like chemical rockets, are good at getting spacecraft out of gravity wells but not so great at traveling in free space. More modern systems, like electric propulsion, are better at providing long-term propulsion but are very slow. Others haven’t even made it to space, like nuclear thermal rockets. But there’s one type that could trump them all – fusion propulsion. It has the benefit of significant thrust and excellent fuel efficiency and could open up the whole solar system in ways other systems could only dream of. One company, Helicity Space, thinks they are on the path to developing a working version of just such a fusion propulsion system, and they just received a NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts (NIAC) grant to continue its development.
Continue reading “Fusion-Enabled Comprehensive Exploration of the Heliosphere”Magnetic Fusion Plasma Engines Could Carry us Across the Solar System and Into Interstellar Space

Missions to the Moon, missions to Mars, robotic explorers to the outer Solar System, a mission to the nearest star, and maybe even a spacecraft to catch up to interstellar objects passing through our system. If you think this sounds like a description of the coming age of space exploration, then you’d be correct! At this moment, there are multiple plans and proposals for missions that will send astronauts and/or probes to all of these destinations to conduct some of the most lucrative scientific research ever performed. Naturally, these mission profiles raise all kinds of challenges, not the least of which is propulsion.
Simply put, humanity is reaching the limits of what conventional (chemical) propulsion can do. To send missions to Mars and other deep space destinations, advanced propulsion technologies are required that offer high acceleration (delta-v), specific impulse (Isp), and fuel efficiency. In a recent paper, Leiden Professor Florian Neukart proposes how future missions could rely on a novel propulsion concept known as the Magnetic Fusion Plasma Drive (MFPD). This device combines aspects of different propulsion methods to create a system that offers high energy density and fuel efficiency significantly greater than conventional methods.
Continue reading “Magnetic Fusion Plasma Engines Could Carry us Across the Solar System and Into Interstellar Space”