The Case and Development Path for Fusion Propulsion

Jason Cassibry (1), Ross Cortez (2), Seth Thompson(2), Milos Stanic(2), Richard Hatcher(2), Megan Beattie(2)
(1) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Propulsion Research Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899
(2) University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899

Abstract

From the beginning of human kind, it has been our nature to explore and learn how to thrive in the myriad of climates on Earth, no matter how inhospitable or hostile. It's no surprise then that some of us view the solar system as just another frontier. Accepting that human exploration of the planets beyond Earth as an inevitability, we must ask what is the best choice for getting us there? There are fundamental reasons why fusion surpasses more traditional approaches to routine crewed missions to Mars, crewed missions to the outer planets, and deep space high speed robotic missions, assuming that reduced trip times, increased payloads, and higher available power are desired. Specifically nuclear reactions (fission and fusion) release energies per unit mass of the order 106 times that of chemical reactions, meaning that, among many other things, rockets deriving thrust from the conversion of thermal to kinetic energy will require considerably less propellant. Since fusion fuels consist of low molecular weight and fully ionized components, the exhaust can be guided by magnetic fields or utilized in direct conversion of electricity. Both of these features give fusion advantages, especially for routine trips to Mars and human exploration of the outer planets. Within the scope of fusion, we ask another question. Which approach will lead to a rapid, relatively low cost development path for propulsion? While we do not consider all fusion concepts, we make the case for the magneto-inertial fusion parameter space, and offer several embodiments of that approach. We then summarize the current state of development of MIF and suggest what needs to be done next.

Presented at ISDC 2011 - Huntsville. Paper and presentation charts are not available.