Does anyone know the current progress with VASIMR?

On Jan 24, 11:03 am, wrote:
On Jan 22, 1:19 pm, Einar wrote:



On Jan 22, 12:45 pm, wrote:

On Jan 15, 9:50 pm, Einar wrote:

On Jan 15, 9:09 pm, Chris Gunn wrote:

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:23:33 -0800 (PST), Einar
wrote:

On Jan 15, 12:05 am, Chris Gunn
wrote:
On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:53:49 -0800 (PST), Datacide

wrote:
...and I perpetuated the same error that Chris pointed out to Einar
that he made: it's an engine, not merely a merely a 'power
plant'
Vasimr is an engine.

æIt requires a large power supply.

- Such as a nuclear plant.

Nuclear plants, such as most power plants, generate heat.

Radiating large amounts of heat in space is more difficult that on
earth where there is all the relativly highly conductive air etc. In
space radiators are the most obvious choice, but for the power in
mind, the radiator mass, with current tech, is relatively large.

A better question would therefore be: How is lightwieght radiator tech
coming along?

Or perhaps: Are there any cunning alternatives?
Perhaps for a long distance probe, the engine could be run for short
durations, and part of the probe mass (eg fuel) could be used as a
heat sink. The off periods used to radiate.
Just a thought.

He didn't make a mistake, but I was pointing out the more important
obstical to it's development.

Thanks for the link 8-)

I'm still hoping to hear some cunning ideas ;-]

Gunn

Hmm, people...clearly a fission reactor is necessary at some point.