VASIMR Ground Testing

This is a series of test firings of the VASIMR VX-200 plasma rocket prototype. The rocket's 1st stage (a Helicon plasma source) was fired at 14 kW using a solid state RF amplifier, and argon gas as the propellant. The video is slowed down to half speed.
The VX-200 is designed to use 30 kW for its first stage and 70 kW for its second stage (an ion cyclotron heating stage).

The VX-200 is the precursor to the VF-200, a flight demonstration unit that is intended to fly on the International Space Station (ISS).

"Watch your back Voyager!"


www.adastrarocket.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_specific_impulse_magnetoplasma_rocket

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• VASIMR
• ISS
• International
• Space
• Station
• mars
• lunar
• LEO
• LLO
• ion
• thruster
• hall
• plasma
• rocket
• mike
• griffin
• chang
• diaz
• NASA
• robert
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• society
• hoax

[DracoXul]

What is the rhythmic whistle like sound in the background?

[benwl]

This is the sound of helium expanding in a piston. This is used to super cool a cryo pump, which gets down to 13K (13 degrees above absolute zero). There is also the sound of a camera shutter being triggered every so often.

[symantemplar]

But will it light a cigarette?

[AgrivatedKillah]

@AzNtacoSAUCE Internet called, they want their jokes back.

[xadam2dudex]

@TheeBoss87 well they are almost the same...a plasma is an ionized gas and is a type of Ion thruster and ions are charged ( + or - ) atoms or molecules

[TheeBoss87]

@uexp4 So once your in space (out side of the planets strong gravity) it doesn't matter because of the frictionless vacuum of space right? Also please could anyone clear this up for me, ION propulsion VS Plasma propulsion or are they one and the same?

[TheeBoss87]

@AzNtacoSAUCE rofl

[infernoacid]

@benwl

Helium expansion in a piston. Thats one super cool cryo pump.

[williamhad]

@decaalv well its under the supervision of an astronaut and many scientist trained in America, still it is pretty amazing.

[AzNtacoSAUCE]

Chuck Norris called. He wants his hair dryer back.

[fuunguus]

@uexp4

It is horrible, but the advantage is that there is almost no need for fuel. Luckily some smart scientist invented nuclear reactors some time ago, we can keep the rockets operating for incredible amounts of time, something that will give us incredible speeds. 39 days of travel time to Mars here we come, or less than 60 days of travel time to the inner asteroid belt! Where we will build in the future, the space industry that will eventually lunch us out to the stars.

[fuunguus]

@lwt5150

Yeah, so true. People think NASA and all this costs lots of money, but actually the NASA budget is ridiculously small. It makes me so mad when ignorant cunts say we should shut it down for tax cuts.

[uexp4]

With the current plasma rocket technology we still need solid fuel rockets to get to space before we can use the plasma rockets effectively. Plasma propulsion is the most efficient type of propulsion, next to solar sailing. But the weight to thrust ratio is horrible.