Out of 14 concept developments, a NASA grant was awarded to a project that could revolutionize exploration of the far reaches of the solar system. This is a project of a rocket engine, which theoretically will allow the rocket to overcome in 5 years the path that the Voyager 1 probe did in 35 years. Flights within the system will no longer be human life-long events.
Image Source: Artur Davoyan
The amount of $ 175 thousand NASA issued a group of scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles. “In the first phase, we will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed propulsion system concept by detailed modeling of the various subsystems of the proposed propulsion system and conducting experimental studies,” said project leader Artur Davoyan.
The proposed pellet-beam solution is based on the same concept as with a star sail powered by an external laser installation. At one time, Russian businessman Yuri Milner and the famous British scientist Stephen Hawking initiated the Breakthrough Starshot project, the purpose of which is to send mini-satellites to the Alpha Centauri star system. The small probe would be propelled by a powerful laser system in Earth orbit, which would hit the sail and accelerate the spacecraft.
The pellet-beam concept assumes almost the same thing, but instead of photons, plasma clots will hit the sail or engine with a powerful magnetic field. Obviously, the plasma will interact more strongly with the sail or the magnetic field of the ship’s engine than massless photons. This will allow faster and stronger acceleration of the ship and, more importantly, a much heavier than a feather-light probe under sail. After all, a shoebox-sized probe cannot send a lot of equipment by definition.
According to calculations, a 10-MW laser in orbit will be needed to accelerate a ship weighing 1 ton to a speed of 120 km/s. The pellet-beam engine will allow you to reach the outer planets in less than a year, and get away by 100 AU. in about 3 years. Jump out of the Sun’s gravitational lens at a distance of about 500 AU. possible in 15 years. At this speed, the distance traveled by the Voyager 1 probe in 35 years is 122 AU. will be overcome in 5 years.
The pellet-beam concept assumes that the fuel will be supplied not from the ship, but to the ship. Fuel pellets will be fired towards the ship and irradiated with a powerful laser. Due to the effect of laser ablation, the substance will evaporate from the surface of the granules and accelerate, gradually turning into a cloud of plasma flying at high speed. The plasma will hit the magnetic field of the ship’s engine and accelerate it. Sounds like science fiction, but NASA has not spared the development of the concept of money. It will be interesting to see what comes of this.
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