A spacecraft propulsion system operated in the presence of an ambient flux of cosmic rays is provided, wherein the cosmic rays interact with deuterium-containing nuclear micro-fusion fuel material to generate products having useful kinetic energy. The propulsion system comprises a supply of the deuterium-containing particle fuel material, along with means (such as a gun) for projecting the material (e.g. as successive packages in the form of shell projectiles) outward from a spacecraft. The spacecraft has means (such as a pusher mechanism) for receiving at least some portion of the generated kinetic-energy-containing products to produce thrust upon the spacecraft.
Interplanetary spacecraft using fusion-powered thrust
2019-06-18
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS |
INTERPLANETARY SPACECRAFT USING FUSION-POWERED CONSTANT-ACCELERATION THRUST
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