NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden's Magic Rocket

Three times on video and one time on conference call, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has made claims that NASA could develop a rocket that could take astronauts to Mars in "days, not months". This is patently absurd... so much so I had to break out my robot voice.

What is this magical engine that is going to take us to Mars in mere days? What's Charlie Bolden talking about? He has mentioned Dr Frank Chang-Diaz, so I'm guessing he must be talking about VASIMR.. but if he is then he has been woefully misinformed about its capabilities.

The Ad Astra Rocket Company has been working on VASIMR since 1977.. and to-date they've demonstrated less than a 10th of a pound of thrust, for seconds at a time. I don't think Ad Astra have ever made any claims that a VASIMR engine can take astronauts to Mars in mere days.

I don't understand how the rocket equation works out.. you'd need over 650 km/s of delta-v to go to Mars in a week. To do that with any mass ratio you'd need at least 25000 seconds of ISP.

Nothing does that, not even nuclear thermal propulsion.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• nasa
• mars
• VASIMR
• robot voice

[dks13827]

Mr Bolden, I believe, is one of those people who thinks that throwing money at a problem, any problem, will solve it. ( referring to the magic engines )

[quantumG]

@dks13827 that's NASA in general. Also consider all the JWST advocates who think throwing another $5,000,000,000 at the problem will solve it. For a program that was supposed to cost $500,000,000 and is already a few hundred percent over budget, that's nuts.. literally, it's doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

[granddad2002]

Plasma and Ion propulsion systems can be improved.What gets me is all the political wrangling on Space exploration... You think the Chinese get into the petty topics like this? India might beat the US to Mars? ESA and Soyuz Corp. are doing very quiet work on some of these issues.It's like Spain, Italy and Portugal in the 1500's...within 100 years they lost the Atlantic. Tech is moving faster...50 years after the Moon landing and the world is ready for new players to run ahead of the US.

[quantumG]

@granddad2002 I expect every single Chinese launch is negotiated to death. The PLA only do the flights because it gives their asat teams a reason to practice fielding the missile.

[rodswebdesign]

brilliant video

[jessyjessy4]

very interesting video thanks

[bribribri56]

Very enjoyable thank you

[Iamnotaparakeet]

I bet this current director of NASA really perturbs Dr. Zubrin. 

[enoughzenough]

I don't think that Charles Bolden Jr. would call out on a theory three times wich is based on bullshit, Charles Bolden Jr. isn't Ali G.

[monokhem]

@Winner8501 If by "you can get to mars in hours" you are refering to a tin can with a fine jelly stuck to one side that used to be you, yes you can.

[abram730]

@quantumG I've seen it generate thrust and it's up to 5.7 newtons.