Fusion Propulsion

A new concept for the interplanetary and interstellar mission engine. All current spacecraft use chemical rocket for launch and this fusion propulsion system uses fusion rockets for launch. Fusion propulsion has the potential to produce high speed transportation any where in the universe. In this propulsion use fusion reactions to produce thrust to propel rockets. In order to occur fusion we have to create conditions like high temperature about 100 million degree celcius and high pressure. At these conditions plasma is formed and the fusion reaction takes place producing high amount of energy which is exhausted through the nozzle. It is very difficult to confine the plasma and uses magnetic confinement, inertial confinement methods for controlling the plasma. And the types of fusion propulsion are magnetic confinement propulsion, inertial confinement propulsion and the emerging type moun-catalyzed propulsion.

Spacecraft propulsion is used to change the velocity of spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. Most spacecraft today are propelled by heating the reaction mass and allowing it to flow out the back of the vehicle.For propulsion the required product is the velocity of the exhaust products of the reaction. All current spacecraft use chemical rocket for launch.

When in space, the purpose of a propulsion system is to change the velocity of a spacecraft. When launching a spacecraft from the Earth, a propulsion method must overcome the Earth's gravitational pull in addition to providing acceleration. Interplanetary vehicles mostly use chemical rockets and this takes at least six months to reach Mars. And this fusion propulsion system makes this possible for humans to reach Mars within three months. 

Fusion reactions release an enormous amount of energy, which is why researchers are devising ways to harness that energy into a propulsion system. A fusion-powered spacecraft could move up NASA's schedule for a manned Mars mission. This type of spacecraft could cut travel time to Mars by more than 50 percent.

Fusion reactions release an enormous amount of energy, which is why researchers are devising ways to harness that energy into a propulsion system. A fusion-powered spacecraft could move up NASA's schedule for a manned Mars mission. This type of spacecraft could cut travel time to Mars by more than 50 percent, thus reducing the harmful exposure to radiation and weightlessness. The building of a fusion-powered spacecraft would be the equivalent of developing a car on Earth that can travel twice as fast as any car, with a fuel efficiency of 7,000 miles per gallon. In rocket science, fuel efficiency of a rocket engine is measured by its specific impulse. Specific impulse refers to the units of thrust per the units of propellant consumed over time.

A fusion drive could have a specific impulse about 300 times greater than conventional chemical rocket engines. A typical chemical rocket engine has a specific impulse of about 450 seconds, which means that the engine can produce 1 pound (.4539kg) of thrust from 1 pound of fuel for 450 seconds. A fusion rocket could have an estimated specific impulse of 130,000 seconds. Additionally, fusion-powered rockets would use hydrogen as a propellant, which means it would be able to replenish itself as it travels through space. Hydrogen is present in the atmosphere of many planets, so all the spacecraft would have to do is dip down into the atmosphere and suck in some hydrogen to refuel itself. 

Fusion-powered rockets could provide longer thrust than chemical rockets, which burn their fuel quickly. It's believed that fusion propulsion will allow rapid travel to anywhere in our solar system, and could allow round trips from Earth to Jupiter in just two years. 

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  • Raj J

    Fusion Propulsion

    3 years ago