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VASIMR: The Radical Rocket

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Interplanetary Outpost

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Abstract

Solar sails, beamed energy, advanced chemical rockets, nuclear propulsion, fusion research, ion drives, and antimatter rockets. These are the sort of topics that have been discussed at advanced space propulsion conferences for decades. In the late 1950s, the talk was all about Orion, a nuclear-pulsed project that envisioned a crewed interplanetary spacecraft voyaging to Saturn by 1970, fueled by fission explosives against a ‘pusher plate’ connected to the spacecraft via a set of shock absorbers.

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Reference

  • [I] Chang-Diaz, F. "A Rocket for the 21st Century", Seed Magazine (September 29, 2009), available ouline at http:ffseedmagazine.comfcontentfarticlefa_rocket_for_ the_2Jst_centuryf (November 11, 2009).

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  • Glover, T.W., eta!. Principal V ASIMR Results and Present Objectives, Ad Astra Rocket Company, available online at www.adastrarocket.com/TimSTAIF2005 . pdf(November 11, 2009).

  • Hsu, J. "VASIMR Plasma Rocket Passes Power Test, Announces Launch Date", Popular Science (October 5, 2009), available online at www.popsci.com/ military-aviation-amp-space/ article/ 2009-1 0/plasma-rockets-could-make-pit-stopsmars- and-beyond (November 5, 2009).

  • Klotz, I. "Plasma Rocket May Be Tested at Space Station", Discovery News (August 7, 2008), available online at http:ffdsc.discovery.comfnews/2008/08/07/ plasma-rocket.html (November 11, 2009).

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Correspondence to Erik Seedhouse M.Med.Sc., Ph.D., FBIS .

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Seedhouse, E. (2011). VASIMR: The Radical Rocket. In: Interplanetary Outpost. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9748-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9748-7_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-9747-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-9748-7

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