/sci/ - Science & Math

>>10499958
I don't know a huge amount about VASIMR except that it only needs around 200kW to operate, very small nuclear reactors have been possible since the 50s-60s and NASA has also been playing around with nuclear power sources for space application (although kilopower is not the kind of reactor you'd want to power a VASIMR rocket). Jet and tank engines can generate more than 1000kW of horsepower and a very small MSR operating perhaps as some kind of expansion condensation closed cycle turbine could probably rival that at similar sizes. Enough to power four or five 200kW VASIMR rockets at full power. Propellant for magnetoplasmadynamics is a lot more compact and less troublesome compared to the cryogenic monopropellants or volatile hypergolics used right now. As to radiator weight more favorable performance could be achieved using carbon fiber as a fin material, the UMAS study I'll post uses Inconel alloy tubes but for an MSR I'd switch them to Hastelloy-X. Radiators will invariably make up close to half the weight of your power system, if you want a ship to use any kind of powerful magnetoplasmadynamic rocket radiator weight will be factored into your mass budget and better, bigger rockets are right on the horizon to fill those kinds of needs. If you have specific criticisms of VASMIR though I'd be interested to hear them because I don't know much about it outside of what you'd get from surface level perusal of google.

chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20130001608.pdf