Countdown for Superconducting-Plasma Rockets -Star Trek Trumped!

Superconducting plasma rockets might sound like something Buck Rogers blasts the Infini-Cruiser into the Nth dimension with, but this isn't throwaway technobabble. It's the result of years of work, and the prototype space engine is currently powering through testing.

The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) is a form of ion drive. All ion drives are designed for use in space (so we'll still need to set fire to gigantic tanks of propellant to get there), but once there they allow us to use fuel far more efficiently. Instead of relying on chemical reactions to push propellant out of a thruster, imparting an equal and opposite force on the the craft, ion drives magnetically accelerate the particles out the exhaust - so you can get far more thrust from the same mass of fuel, and since you're in (near-Earth) space solar power means you don't need to carry big batteries.

The VASIMR is an upgrade to the ion engine idea, with the latest model using superconducting magnets to massively increase the strength of the magnetic field driving the output without increasing the weight. First stage testing at the Ad Astra Rocket Company has already been completed, with second-staging testing - ramping up the power output by a factor of ten - scheduled for next week.

Getting improved engines off the drawing and into action is essential for mankind's space plans. Reducing the launch mass of any craft yields massive savings in launch costs, making it more likely that more will happen. You know, until we evolve past the stupidity where exploring the universe itself has to be approved by a balance sheet.

Superconducting Plasma Rocket Testing http://spacefellowship.com/2009/07/06/vx-200-demonstrates-superconducting-first-stage-at-full-power/