From: <rgs50@bellsouth.net>
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
References: <b46gq0$cema$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu> <b4dkqu$946b$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu>
Subject: Re: PLASMA ROCKET ?


Politically incorrect to use a nuke powered rocket in outer space ?

Robert G Smith

Gordon D. Pusch <gdpusch@NO.xnet.SPAM.com> wrote in message
news:b4dkqu$946b$1@saturn.cs.uml.edu...
>
> <rgs50@bellsouth.net> writes:
>
> > I understand there is a new kind of rocket called a PLASMA ROCKET that
will
> > get us to Mars in 29 days as opposed to 9 or 8 months. Anyone know more
> > about this ?
>
> The "official" name for it is "VASIMR," which stands for "Variable
Specific
> Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket." Basically, this is just a fancy NASA
acronym
> for a microwave-heated plasma rocket; its primary semi-new wrinkles are
> that it can easily trade off specific impulse for thrust, and that it
> should be able to use a wide variety of working fluids. VASIMR has been
> heavily hyped in the media by its developers, but the big issue they are
> careful to avoid talking about is that it's not a practical drive unless
> you also use a nuclear power source, which is still highly politically
> incorrect.
>
> Visit the NASA webpage
> <http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/mars/technology/propulsion/aspl/vasimr.html>
> or do a Google search on "VASIMR" to learn more.
>
>
> -- Gordon D. Pusch
>
> perl -e '$_ = "gdpusch\@NO.xnet.SPAM.com\n"; s/NO\.//; s/SPAM\.//; print;'
>