In-vacuum Camera View Of The VASIMR VX-200i

This is one test firing in a series of experiments with the VASIMR VX-200 plasma rocket prototype. The rocket's 1st stage (a Helicon plasma source) was fired at 30 kW using a state-of-the-art solid state RF power supply, and the rocket's 2nd stage was fired at 144 kW using a second solid state RF power supply. Argon gas was used as the propellant, and gives a distinctive purple/blue/UV glow. The second half of the video is slowed down to 1/10 speed during the firing of the second stage.

The plasma diagnostics that can be seen in this video are situated on an x-y motion stage capable of moving side to side 200cm and in an out 500cm with 0.5mm precision. The diagnostic suite was moved to a close approach in front of the rocket's plasma exhaust. Because of the extreme temperatures and heating within the plasma exhaust, the diagnostics are all constructed out of refractory metals, high temperature ceramics, or graphite (or all three). The rocket and everything else seen in this video is located within a vacuum chamber, used to simulate the vacuum environment of space.

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). http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/dec/HQ_08-332_VASMIR_engine.html

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[benwl]

During the high RF power part of the firing (the bright part), the Argon plasma exhaust can reach 1 Million degrees C.

[ytams1]

Cost. Argon (Ar) is cheap since it can be extracted from the atmospheres of the Earth and Mars simply by cooling the air. Xenon (Xe) is very expensive and there is a world shortage.

[CleveSaville]

Go Franklin Go!

[CleveSaville]

Why Ar, when most plasma engines use Xe with its lower ionization energy and higher mw?

[roidroid]

degrees

[googlemenow49]

wuts deg?

[roidroid]

it's a rocket. For moving around in space

[niiidar]

He just told you. 1 million degrees.

[ORIGINALpipTV]

1 million deg ............holy crap .whats it for actually ?