Announced from Soviet Russia, so maybe the planets travel to you (?), but here it is: http://rt.com/news/space-nuclear-engine-propulsion-120/ (excerpt) A ground-breaking Russian nuclear space-travel propulsion system will be ready by 2017 and will power a ship capable of long-haul interplanetary missions by 2025, giving Russia a head start in the outer-space race. The megawatt-class nuclear drive will function for up to three years and produce 100-150 kilowatts of energy at normal capacity. The new project proposes the use of an electric ion propulsion system. The engines exhaust thrust will be generated by an ion flow, which is further accelerated by an electric field. Not really a new idea, and it's hard to really parse this article fully, but kind of exciting nonetheless. Ion drive progress and the start of interplanetary engine design.... So the Space-Odyssey-style mission will not have David Bowman but rather David Bezrukov.
Bold words with the high failure rate of their recent rocket and satellite programs. Hope they can pull it off and it's not just for political maneuvering.
I think we really should look to develop the Space Station more. I think once we can build ships ... BEYOND THE CLOUDS then we will be capable of doing more. I think alot of energy goes to just getting the thing off the planet. Rocket River besides. . . i wanna vacay on the space station!!
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I did my 5th grade science project on the ion propulsion engine. The project sucked (I think i used my bicycle pump in the diorama) but just sayin. I'm old.
Yes, this is an "old" technology. As B-Bob points out, the idea's been around for a long time, but if the Soviets, uh, I mean Russia, have made serious progress, then we must not lose the Ion Drive race! (can we make a race out of this, please?)
Cool. But first trying to get it off the ground will be a tough and dangerous tasks. This stuff is NOT safe if it explode with all that nuclear wastes.
VASIMR NASA has VASIMR. A 200 kW prototype has already been tested. The current plan is to have a prototype tested on the space station next year. VASIMR could get a crew to Mars and back in 5 months total.
