New Plasma Propulsion System Generates A Helluva Lot of Thrust

The next big thing in space propulsion?:

"Our solar system just became a little bit smaller due to a new plasma propulsion
concept developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Principal Research Physicist,
Dr. Fatima Ebrahimi. Her new engine uses plasmoids and magnetic fields to generate
thrust, making crewed missions to distant planets, such as Mars, significantly
more manageable and less costly."


"“The idea for this thruster comes from my simulations of helicity injection in
the [National Spherical Torus Experiment] NSTX fusion experiment in Princeton, a
technique used to create the initial plasma current in a Tokamak [fusion reactor].
My simulations showed these plasma rings called plasmoids are being created and
moving at very high speed,” Dr. Ebrahimi explained.

According to computer simulations run by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, her thruster concept
produced exhaust velocities that are ten times greater than a traditional ion
propulsion system with heart-stopping speeds at hundreds of kilometers per
second."

See:

https://thedebrief.org/fusionpropulsion/