"Stuart E. Strand" writes:

Can anyone update us on the status of mini magnetosphere plasma
propulsion (M2P2)? The website,

http://www.geophys.washington.edu/Sp...aceModel/M2P2/

is a couple years out of date, and I hesitate to bug the principals
uninvited. The idea seems so appealing -- high effective specific
impulse, radiation protection, etc. -- but perhaps there is a hitch.

Among other things, the principals have only vague concepts as to how
to actually *steer* an M2P2.


Are there plans to test a vehicle in space?

There is no money to test a vehicle in space. There is also no money to
fly operational missions for which an M2P2 would be a clearly better
propulsion system than other, more mature systems.


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