Wed, Jan 20, 2010
Will Collaborate On Plasma Propulsion Technology
Plasma rocket developer Ad Astra Rocket Company and national
aerospace defense and technology company MEI Technologies have
joined forces to create a strategic alliance in support of Ad
Astra's Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR)
rocket development.
The alliance combines Ad Astra's work in plasma physics and
advanced rocket propulsion with MEI's knowledge in safety, payload
integration, engineering and advanced technology. The two companies
have collaborated for more than five years on a variety of
projects.
As a first step in this alliance, MEI Technologies will provide
support in the development and integration of the VF-200 payload, a
project to demonstrate Ad Astra's proprietary technology, the
VASIMR, on the U.S. National Laboratory portion of the
International Space Station. VASIMR is a high power electric
thruster for in-space propulsion that uses radio waves and strong
magnetic fields to ionize and accelerate propellant and direct the
resulting intense plasma jet to generate thrust. Selected by the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics as one of the
top 10 emerging aerospace technologies of 2009, the VASIMR engine
is fueled by abundant, inexpensive propellants and has demonstrated
exhaust velocities from five to nearly 40 times higher than the
best chemical rockets. The company's current prototype engine, the
VX-200, demonstrated its full 200 kW power rating in tests
conducted last September 30 at Ad Astra's Houston facility. In the
near- term, when combined with high power photovoltaic solar arrays
currently under development for space applications, the VASIMR
engine is expected to provide a transformational approach to
in-space transportation, significantly reducing costs and enhancing
efficiency over conventional chemical rockets. Farther in the
future, and combined with high nuclear electric power, Ad Astra
says VASIMR could drastically reduce the travel time for human and
robotic missions to Mars and beyond.
"We have had a long and rewarding association with MEI
Technologies, and it is a company that we trust to perform. Through
this alliance, our team of scientists can focus on enhancing
VASIMR's capability while leveraging MEI Technologies' experience
and expertise in payload integration and project development. In
this relationship, we share a common vision: to revolutionize space
transportation and exploration," said Ad Astra CEO Dr. Franklin
Chang Diaz.
"Ad Astra's impressive technology coupled with our payload
integration capabilities will ultimately result in innovative cargo
and supply mechanisms, greater access to resources and broader
support for robotic and human missions in space," said MEI
Technologies CEO Ed Muniz.
More News
Airbus Racer Demonstrator Makes Inaugural Flight Airbus Helicopters' ambitious Racer demonstrator has achieved its inaugural flight as part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, a corners>[...]
A little Bit Quieter, Said Testers, But in the End it's Still a DA40 Diamond Aircraft recently completed a little pilot project with Lufthansa Aviation Training, putting a pair of >[...]
Line Up And Wait (LUAW) Used by ATC to inform a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway to line up and wait. It is not authorization for takeoff. It is used when takeoff clearance >[...]
Contributing To The Accident Was The Pilot’s Use Of Methamphetamine... Analysis: The pilot departed on a local flight to perform low-altitude maneuvers in a nearby desert val>[...]
From 2015 (YouTube Version): Overcoming Obstacles To Achieve Their Dreams… At EAA AirVenture 2015, FedEx arrived with one of their Airbus freight-hauling aircraft and placed>[...]
Airbus Racer Helicopter Demonstrator First Flight Part of Clean Sky 2 Initiative
See All