Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
MagBeam Propulsion - To Mars And Back In 90 Days
Magnetized-beam plasma propulsion, or magbeam propulsion, could cut the time required for long journeys around the solar system from years to weeks.
(From Mag-beam propulsion)
The MagBeam propulsion system is being developed at the University of Washington; earth and space sciences professor Robert Winglee is leading the project.
"We're trying to get to Mars and back in 90 days," Winglee said. "Our philosophy is that, if it's going to take two-and-a-half years, the chances of a successful mission are pretty low."People usually think of a spacecraft as a ship with both payload and power source. The MagBeam system separates these two logical units; the power source stays in one place (for example, in permanent orbit around the Earth). Spacecraft are pushed to other parts of the solar system.
Advantages of MagBeam Propulsion
MagBeam propulsion offers significant advantages over conventional rockets:- One power source could be used to power multiple craft (serially, not at the same time).
- The power source could use solar energy, resulting in additional cost savings.
- Plasma propellants are accelerated to speeds an order of magnitude greater than those achieved by chemical rocket propellants, resulting in higher spacecraft velocities - at least 26,000 miles per hour.
- A round trip to Mars would take 2 1/2 years using current technology. If the trip time could be shortened, many other difficulties (like the quantity of consumables and the psychological effects on the astronauts) could be greatly eased.
How MagBeam Propulsion Works
The system requires a power source at each end of a journey; one to accelerate the spacecraft at the start and another at the destination, to decelerate it. The spacecraft simply coasts during the journey from planet to planet. Once MagBeam power sources are placed at destinations around the solar system, the system can be operated using solar power alone.MagBeam depends upon a highly collimated plasma beam. The high power helicon (HPH) under development at the University of Washington is a state-of-the-art electrodeless plasma thruster, which allows high power levels to be generated over long periods of time with little erosion of the system. The plasma is generated by high power radio frequency waves; as a result, HPH is substantially smaller than other plasma thrusters.
(From High Power Helicon)
The spacecraft will need to have a deflector system to accept the energy from the HPH. This can be achieved by plasma magnet systems; plasma effects are used to make an initially large magnetic deflector. The system is self-focussing. Click to see a video showing deflection and self-focussing.
(From MagBeam Deflector System)
So when can we expect a MagBeam test mission? According to Dr. Winglee, within 5 years if funding remains consistent. Residents of Seattle can attend the NASA Advanced Concepts Institute meeting early this week to learn more.
The idea of separating the spacecraft and its payload from its power source was first explored in science fiction in the excellent 1974 novel Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. In the book, a battery of laser cannon were used to accelerate a small ship with a light sail to a significant fraction of the speed of light. The original idea for a laser-based propulsion system is credited to Robert L. Forward and dates from 1961. You may also enjoy this article on Solar Windsurfing; it provides an interesting precursor to the idea of laser cannon.
See the original article New propulsion concept could make 90-day Mars round trip possible.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/16/2004)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 29 )
Related News Stories - (" Space Tech ")
Space Traffic Management (STM) Needed Now
'...the spot was a lonely one in an uncharted region, far from the normal lanes of space traffic.' - Arthur William Bernal (1935)
Denmark Joins The 'Zero Debris Charter' To Clean Up Space
'Then their lasers vaporized the smaller satellites...' Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.' V.E. Thiessen, 1947.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Tiny Flying Robot Weighs Just One Gram
'Aerostat meant anything that hung in the air. This was an easy trick to pull off nowadays.'
Some Ringworld Configurations Are Stable
'The Ringworld had no horizon. There was no line where the land curved away from the sky.'
TRANSFORM Dynamic Furniture Concept Becomes What You Need
'An adjustment panel outside the door would cause it to extrude various appurtenances in memory plastic...'
Harvard Metamaterials Change Structure Instantly
'Annealed in any shape for a time, and codified, the structure of that shape is retained down to the molecules.'
SnapBot Robots - You Choose Their Legs And They Choose Their Gaits
It's not really polite to tear the limbs off robots.
Dino From Magical Toys An AI Companion To Children
'...the imaginary companions discovered by needful children.'
Humanoid Robots Building Humanoid Robots
''Pardon me, Struthers,' he broke in suddenly... 'haven't you a section of the factory where only robot labor is employed?''
Darpa 'Defiant' Unmanned Autonomous Ship
'There was no wheel, and no steersman!'
What's The Best Way To Ship And Unpack Humanoid Robots?
'I opened the oblong box, where lay the automatons side by side...'
DNA Printed Book By Isaac Asimov Now Available
'They tied the memory to the bloodline and that was their record!'
AI Computer Chip Designs Passeth Human Understanding
'It seems that at one time computers were designed directly by human beings.'
Space Traffic Management (STM) Needed Now
'...the spot was a lonely one in an uncharted region, far from the normal lanes of space traffic.'
Fine-Tune Your Infinite Book The Way You Want It
'I squatted down beside the roller and tried to make some sense out of the knobs. There were thirty-nine of them...'
SpiRobs Soft Spiral Robotic Arm
'Beware the long, flexible, glittering tentacles...'
Holland Factory 3D Printing 500 Tons Of Steak Per Month
'...I don’t understand technical things — tell me, does it ever feel anything?"
Stratospheric Solar Geoengineering From Harvard
'Pina2bo would have to operate full blast for many years to put as much SO2 into the stratosphere as its namesake had done in a few minutes.'
