NASA might bring plasma rocket to ISS for testing

Ad Astra's VASIMR plasma rocket is about ready for testing, only problem is it requires the vacuum of space to do it in. NASA is now considering taking the rocket up to the International Space Station, clipping it on and firing her up -- perhaps even using it to reposition the station. Formerly of NASA, Franklin Chang Diaz left to form Ad Astra and perfect his plasma rocket, which he hopes will be able to take space vehicles from low-earth orbit to the moon. The rocket draws its own power from solar cells, and then uses radio waves to heat argon into plasma, and directs that plasma using magnets. Pretty fancy stuff, and since the rocket is reusable and can propel payloads double the size of equivalent chemical engines, there could be cost savings in the long run. Right now it seems the main hang ups for NASA are where to attach the rocket to the ISS where it won't be interfered with, and how to get it into space after the space shuttle is retired in 2010

[Via Newlaunches.com]

[From My Cube @ Aug 8th 2008 3:14PM]

Im all about trying this thing out...but NASA can we not strap this thing to the ISS and use it to reposition the space station...am I the only one who thinks "first time using rocket...should not attach to expensive thingy"??

[Steph @ Aug 8th 2008 3:33PM]

yeah no kidding. Something goes wrong and the ISS could be "repositioned" onto someone's front lawn...

This is NOT a good idea. Makes me think of a comic I read this morning:

http://www.boredandevil.com/?date=2008-07-23

[Steffen Jobbs @ Aug 8th 2008 5:36PM]

It's so cool, you think you might want to take a ride on it? It should be ready for use in the next five years. Use it to send some sightseers to Mars at the cost of a few billion dollars so they can find a few gallons of Martian Spring water. Enjoy the ride.

[Pengadget @ Aug 8th 2008 6:30PM]

well it would be a dumb thought to think that NASA hasn't already thought that one out...

[Flashpoint @ Aug 8th 2008 10:51PM]

To Bodly FAIL where no man has FAILED before.

[d889 @ Aug 8th 2008 3:23PM]

badass

[Wonderkid @ Aug 8th 2008 3:27PM]

A colleague of mine, Elon, may be able to assist. He has a startup or something at, hmm, I think it's SpaceX.com, but not sure. NASA? Give them a whirl, but probably worth waiting for launch 7 or so to allow them to iron out the rough spots, else there may be some plasma spillage. ;-)

[nintendo fanboy hater @ Aug 8th 2008 3:29PM]

eh they can build another one

[i-sheep jr. @ Aug 8th 2008 3:31PM]

I got a suggestions to the Na? engineers. Stram this baby on a 3g iphone on 3g speeds. Then the pulsar engine harness the power of the 3g iphone with 3g speeds. Then with the power of a psx,xbox and nintendo ds combine maybe that pulsar engine will travel back in time.

[Catsceo @ Aug 8th 2008 4:21PM]

What?

[deyanimay @ Aug 8th 2008 7:59PM]

That was kinda amusing but not really funny.

[shamowfski @ Aug 8th 2008 3:45PM]

Why only the vacuum of space? Why not in a giant vacuum chamber?

[sip @ Aug 8th 2008 3:48PM]

because it contains the power of 1000 suns, and if anything went wrong on earth... it would be too terrifying to describe.

[Skyride @ Aug 8th 2008 3:56PM]

A rocket? In a vacuum chamber? Plasma would melt faster than you can blink.

[Abe @ Aug 8th 2008 4:28PM]

It has been tested in a vacuum chamber, but after a few milliseconds it is no longer a vacuum, as it is filled with plasma (exhaust). It would take a much longer time to fill up space.

[Benhur @ Aug 8th 2008 5:58PM]

@Abe

How long can it possibly take to fill up space?

[Um...TE @ Aug 9th 2008 1:46AM]

Got me, chief. NASA has vacuum chambers that can easily handle electric propulsion devices up to 100 kW. In fact, they have better, cleaner vacuum than you'd find outside the ISS. Keep in mind that NASA has been launching electric propulsion thrusters since 1964 and has developed test facilities just for EP research.

You'd think strapping a thruster to the ISS would piss off those trying to run microgravity experiments (kinda the whole point of the ISS).

No, this doesn't "contain the power of 1000 suns." It contains the power of its power supply (probably the equivalent of a couple hair driers). Sure, the beam may be energetic (ion engine beams can vaporize steel) but NASA has methods to deal with that. No, you don't blow your vacuum in milliseconds; NASA vacuum chambers have the highest pumping speed in the world - they could run this thing for years in their test chambers.

[Sma @ Aug 9th 2008 10:01AM]

They could test it in a chamber, but you really wouldn't be able to tell how well its doing as far as pushing something as large as the space station, numbers can only tell you so much before you have to actually test it out. Though this basically sounds like the ion engine/thruster that they have on the deep space 1 probe, though possibly larger/more powerful.

[Ricardo Chavarria @ Aug 8th 2008 4:04PM]

This is awesome. Franklin Chang Diaz is from Costa Rica, where I am from. Its amazing what he as acomplished!

[Woopie @ Aug 8th 2008 4:22PM]

What you want a lolli just cause your from Costa Rica. Do us a favor and go back

[marcelo @ Aug 8th 2008 7:24PM]

You're jealous 'cause there's no human way you can come up with a kickass idea like this... and umm.. you keep saying we're third world

Eat it up and suck it up !

[jdclarke @ Aug 9th 2008 12:16AM]

Go back? How do you know he's not IN Costa Rica, like I am right now?

[scjessey @ Aug 8th 2008 4:31PM]

Don't you mean NASA might TAKE the plasma rocket, and then BRING it back again?

[Aaron @ Aug 8th 2008 4:36PM]

So, it's a giant solar-powered microwave full of argon?

[andres @ Aug 8th 2008 6:25PM]

thats what she said...much to my confusion.

[Brock @ Aug 8th 2008 4:43PM]

Go to the Moon? Read more. This thing will get you to Mars in three weeks (rather than the six months it would take with a chemical rocket).

[jruizcr @ Aug 8th 2008 4:46PM]

Thats an honor for us people in Costa Rica that this motor is develop in this little country with edge tecnology!!
Congratulations to Ad Astra people, viva Costa Rica

[odemata @ Aug 8th 2008 4:58PM]

been there done that....yawn

[Ernie Oporto @ Aug 8th 2008 5:16PM]

Funny I would have thought it would be smarter to launch it with a Soyuz capsule and try propelling that around the vacuum of space rather than risking the station. But what the hell do I know?

[Wwhat @ Aug 9th 2008 3:58PM]

Maybe NASA can't afford to pay the ruskies anymore, they only have dollars.

[Scott Hardy @ Aug 8th 2008 5:36PM]

It's about time NASA is bringing up another test engine up to space. It's sad that their Solar Sail experiment blew up in the Space-X launch. We need to continue to encourage additional propulsion method experimentation. With the problems getting a solar sail in space you'd think it was a conspiracy (since space.com's solar sail rocket blew up a few years back as well...)

Where's Mulder and Scully to investigate?

Thanks,
Scott
http://www.topclassactions.com

[Benhur @ Aug 8th 2008 6:00PM]

Plasma rocket.

Oh, it feels good saying that.

[Usarian @ Aug 8th 2008 7:35PM]

This thing has been looooong in coming. It's way due. They need primary funding badly, IMO. Scrap the rest of the advanced propulsion and robot missions to wherever for a few years and get this thing flying. THIS is the future of space exploration, and it could have been the present of space expoloration had it been properly funded for the last 20 years. NASA needs to get their act together and prioritize funding human space projects like there's no tomorrow.

[don @ Aug 8th 2008 8:03PM]

How did gene roddenberry get so dead on in 1967. I wonder if we'll meet the vulcans as soon as we light this rocket up?

[Slick @ Aug 9th 2008 2:19PM]

Well if you think about it, this could be a dramatic step forward for the space program:

There is a rising number of private companies developing jet-like aircraft capable of reaching the upper stratosphere of earth / and into true space itself. I'm sure NASA could easily adapt one of these aircraft to take the place of the current shuttle.

Once in space the ISS, or a station larger and newer for the future, would take the role of housing / launching a different variety of space craft for deep space exploration (to Mars and further into space).

[Wwhat @ Aug 9th 2008 3:56PM]

The ISS has an I in it, not an A.

[leobelmont30 @ Aug 10th 2008 2:00PM]

Ad Astra Rocket Company. Made in COSTA RICA baby!!!

[Addled @ Aug 11th 2008 11:02PM]

And here I'd thought that the idea of strapping rockets onto things to launch them had been pretty much disproven by Wile E. Coyote. Maybe now he can bag the Road Runner.