- #1
MattRob
- 211
- 29
Hello again, Physics Forums.
I'm designing a Sci-Fi story and I'm fleshing out the background details. For it's sake, education, and my own curiosity, I was wondering if I could have some help with a few things related to the physics of it.
A bit of an armchair Rocket Engineer, I'm using http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/ as a source for a lot of info, as well as a number of other articles and books I've read on the topic.
One thing that caught my attention is http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/enginelist.php#mcfusion.
To explain the basics real quick, the higher the exhaust velocity from a rocket engine the better. For this, fusion engines are some of the best.
What I'm wondering is if someone has further information on the "Gasdynamic Mirror Fusion Propulsion System", a design created and experimented by the Marshall Space Flight Center under NASA. I've found a few really brief, small articles on it, but in terms of actual data I've found very little in terms of the actual design proposed http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/images/enginelist/fusionship.jpg.
Here's what I have found:
Link1: Paper
Link2: Powerpoint Presentation
Link3
Link4
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/enginelist.php#mcfusion
So far this data seems to be mostly things I can't really use for designing a spaceship. What I'm looking for is the electrical power required to run it (if it doesn't power itself, that is), it's actual dimensions, and the amount of waste heat it would produce.
Project Rho has the following characteristics listed:
Exhaust Velocity: 8,000,000 m/s
Thrust: 50,000 Newtons
Mass: 600 kg.
If anyone can provide any further insight it'd be incredibly helpful.
I'm designing a Sci-Fi story and I'm fleshing out the background details. For it's sake, education, and my own curiosity, I was wondering if I could have some help with a few things related to the physics of it.
A bit of an armchair Rocket Engineer, I'm using http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/ as a source for a lot of info, as well as a number of other articles and books I've read on the topic.
One thing that caught my attention is http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/enginelist.php#mcfusion.
To explain the basics real quick, the higher the exhaust velocity from a rocket engine the better. For this, fusion engines are some of the best.
What I'm wondering is if someone has further information on the "Gasdynamic Mirror Fusion Propulsion System", a design created and experimented by the Marshall Space Flight Center under NASA. I've found a few really brief, small articles on it, but in terms of actual data I've found very little in terms of the actual design proposed http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/images/enginelist/fusionship.jpg.
Here's what I have found:
Link1: Paper
Link2: Powerpoint Presentation
Link3
Link4
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/enginelist.php#mcfusion
So far this data seems to be mostly things I can't really use for designing a spaceship. What I'm looking for is the electrical power required to run it (if it doesn't power itself, that is), it's actual dimensions, and the amount of waste heat it would produce.
Project Rho has the following characteristics listed:
Exhaust Velocity: 8,000,000 m/s
Thrust: 50,000 Newtons
Mass: 600 kg.
If anyone can provide any further insight it'd be incredibly helpful.