This paper will briefly identify a promising fusion plasma power source, which when coupled with a promising electric thruster technology would provide for an efficient interplanetary transfer craft suitable to a 4 year round trip mission to the Jovian system. An advanced, nearly radiation free Inertial Electrostatic Confinement scheme for containing fusion plasma was judged as offering potential for delivering the performance and operational benefits needed for such high energy human expedition missions, without requiring heavy superconducting magnets for containment of the fusion plasma. Once the Jovian transfer stage has matched the heliocentric velocity of Jupiter, the energy requirements for excursions to its outer satellites (Callisto, Ganymede and Europa) by smaller excursion craft are not prohibitive. The overall propulsion, power and thruster system is briefly described and a preliminary vehicle mass statement is presented.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Advanced Plasma Propulsion for Human Missions to Jupiter


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1999


    Size :

    6 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Advanced Plasma Propulsion for Human Missions to Jupiter

    Donahue, Benjamin B. / Pearson, J. Boise | NTRS | 1999


    Advanced plasma propulsion for human missions to Jupiter

    Donahue, Benjamin B. / Pearson, J. Boise | American Institute of Physics | 2000


    Advanced Plasma Propulsion for Human Missions to Jupiter

    Donahue, B. B. / Pearson, J. B. / University of New Mexico | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2000


    Propulsion subsystem design for Jupiter orbiter missions

    Don, J. P. / Phen, R. L. | NTRS | 1971


    Solar Electric Propulsion Gravity-Assist Tours For Jupiter Missions

    Strange, Nathan / Landau, Damon / Hofer, Richard et al. | AIAA | 2012