Plasma Rocket

Plasma test shots from the VASIMR VX-100 prototype plasma rocket housed at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The video is slowed down to 1/2 speed. In general, these types of thrusters (ion thrusters, Hall thrusters, and VASIMR) take advantage of extremely high exhaust velocities and generally have the ability to operate continuously for months. Although the thrust is much lower than a chemical rocket, the ultimate speed and/or payload fraction delivered is generally much higher.

A new higher power rocket (VX-200) is being constructed and will be tested in a new vacuum chamber that is large enough to drive a full size school bus into (with room to spare).

The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) is now operated by the Ad Astra Rocket Company, created by former astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz (7 Space Shuttle flights).

Caption:
1st picture: front view of VX-100
2nd picture: back of vacuum chamber, which houses a translation stage for plasma diagnostics
3rd picture: VASIMR command center

1st video: pneumatic Langmuir probe
2nd video: 10-collector flux probe
3rd video: swinging flux probe (windshield wiper probe)
4th video: large plasma reaction paddle
5th video: small plasma reaction paddle

The small plasma reaction paddle has the same diameter and weight as a US half dollar and is made out of titanium. Now featured in Iron Man 2.

Ad Astra Rocket Company
www.adastrarocket.com

More pictures of the last shot at:
www.plasmaben.com/VASIMR

Category:

Science & Technology

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[sciencefan001]

@cutlass3501 the point of the rocket is not to go fast with a big short burst of thrust like a ordinary rocket, but to run for a long time with small thrust and when your in space, and keep on applying a force, it will move the object faster and faster over time. getting its energy from the sun

[blockfrenzydude]

i can blow a stick further than that.

..and i'm not even gay.

[pcox8600]

Thumbs up if you got here from Kennedy's moon speech.

[PhantomhiveCiel14]

this would cost the tax payers billions that's why its not in service now maybe Europe will adopt this

[GoldenShaolinNutz]

and if u can blow that stick for 4 months and ur a female. can u please pm me. id really like to get to know u=)

[srorasco1]

@opossom1968 most highschools dont teach advanced astrophysics

[srorasco1]

@GoldenShaolinNutz to bad its impulse not warp :P

[TheForsakenable]

The rocket's force is 1/3 G. Which is also the gravitational pull or Mars. In theory, a person can become accustomed to the gravity in a three months time to Mars in the VASMIR.



[sheeplvl1]

@blockfrenzydude Can you blow that stick for 4 months which the rocket will?

[swright1970]

This is cutting edge astronautics. Chemical rockets/thrusters would be long gone before you even reach the Oort Cloud. A system like this would provide continued thrust for years, even decades, with solar panels and/or a radioisotope thermoelectric generator to feed the reaction.

If you continue to exert a force in the frictionless vacuum, your velocity will continually increase. Theoretically, given long enough, you could achieve near luminal velocities, making extra-solar travel possible.

[mynameissooriginal2]

@AgrivatedKillah I'm not arguing for the sake of trying to get conspiracy theorists to stop being delusional (that would be fruitless). I'm arguing so that there is an alternative (and more rational) viewpoint that people can see. The overall point is to try and stop scientific misconceptions from becoming publicly accepted "facts" (a good example of previous failure of scientific awareness/outreach being "vaccines have mercury, they're trying to give our children autism")

[AgrivatedKillah]

@mynameissooriginal2 Don't argue with conspiracy theorist. It's pointless.

You can't win.

A.) they deny everything you say and tell you to look up proof.

B.) they say you're a dis-informant agent meant to make something look less credible