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Hopefully kicking off a trend for these forums, we have an interview lined up with space propulsion researcher Dr. Andrews. You can read more and post your questions in this thread. The deadline is Friday, so be quick!
Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]
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For those of you unfamiliar with this, let me tell you why you should care:
From the SBIR application:
http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstract … 991825.txt
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
Our MagOrion design is capable of delivering 100 metric tons to either Mars in 65 days or Jupiter in one year. It's high performance makes it the ideal choice as a reusable planetary space "freighter" to support human exploration of the solar system, development of scientific outposts, and even colonization. No other near term propulsion system, including Nuclear Thermal and Ion, can come close to matching the MagOrion's 20,000 seconds of
specific impulse and half-million pounds of thrust. As we enter the third millennium, NASA has its sights set on Mars and destinations beyond. The MagOrion, which could be operating before the next decade is out, will enable NASA to cost effectively send human explorers to the primary planetary bodies of our solar system and establish bases on scientifically rich areas such as Mars and Europa. Where as the Space Shuttle is an Earth to orbit space
taxi, the MagOrion is a planet to planet heavy lift space "freighter". Although the initial MagOrion customer is NASA, as humans turn to exploit space for its natural resources and entertainment potential, the low operating costs of the MagOrion (estimated at two thousand dollars per pound), could enable commercial ventures on other planets or moons.
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