Interplanetary missions with the GDM propulsion system

Journal Article · Thu Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1998 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.54732· OSTI ID:21179650

Kammash, T; Emrich, W Jr ^[1]

---

1. Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

The Gasdynamic Mirror (GDM) fusion propulsion system utilizes a magnetic mirror machine in which a hot dense plasma is confined long enough to produce fusion energy while allowing a fraction of its charged particle population to escape from one end to generate thrust. The particles escaping through the opposite end have their energy converted to electric power which can be used to sustain the system in a steady state operation. With the aid of a power flow diagram the minimum demands on energy production can be established and the propulsive capability of the system can be determined by solving an appropriate set of governing equations. We apply these results to several missions within the solar system and compute the trip time by invoking a continuous burn, acceleration/deceleration type of trajectory with constant thrust and specific impulse. Ignoring gravitational effects of the planets or the sun, and neglecting the change in the Earth's position during the flight we compute the round trip time for missions from Earth to Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto using linear distances and certain payload fractions. We find that a round trip to Mars with the GDM rocket takes about 170 days while those to Jupiter and Pluto take 494 and 1566 days respectively.

• OSTI ID: 21179650
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 420; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
HOT PLASMA
ION PROPULSION
ION THRUSTERS
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
SPACE FLIGHT
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS