Project Icarus: Nuclear Fusion Space Propulsion

Transcription

1 Project Icarus: Nuclear Fusion Space Propulsion Kelvin F.Long Vice President (Europe) Icarus Interstellar

2 Contents Interstellar precursor missions Project Orion Propulsion Landscape Fusion Physics Fusion Propulsion for Interstellar Spacecraft Design Concepts Project Daedalus Project Icarus Concept Development Icarus Leviathan Icarus Roadmap Conclusions Acknowledgements: Project Icarus team

3 Deep Space Precursor Missions

4 Project Orion, 1950s-1960s

5 Propulsion Landscape

6 Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) D + T He 4 (3.52MeV) + n(14.06mev) D + D T(1.01MeV) + p(3.03mev) D + D He 3 (0.82MeV) +n(2.45mev) D + He 3 He 4 (3.67MeV) + p(14.67mev) Li 6 + n T + He MeV Li 7 + n T + He 4 + n - 2.5MeV

7 Fusion Reactions

8 Fusion Triple Product Lawson, (Proc.Phys.Soc, 1957) n T m 3 skev For ~10keV plasma n m 3 Confinement n Inertial ~10 23 cm -3 <1ns Magnetic 10-6 cm -3 ~few sec s

9 Flyby Mission: 1-4 Stage Fusion Energy for Space Missions in the 21st Century, NASA TM4298, Normal R.Schulze, August 1991.

10 Enzmann (Slow Boat) Colony Starship, 1960s

11 Bussard Interstellar Ramjet, 1960

12 Project Vista,

13 Project Longshot, 1988

14 Project Daedalus,

15 Galactic War, Andrew Reid

16 Andrew Farmer

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18 Shigemi Numazawa

19 Adrian Mann Adrian Mann

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21 Don Don Davis Dixon

22 David A Hardy/astroart

23 Rick Sternbach

24 Adrian Mann

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26 Project Daedalus

27 Project Daedalus

28 Project Daedalus

29 Project Daedalus

30 Project Daedalus

31 Project Icarus, The purpose of Project Icarus has been defined as follows: To design a credible interstellar probe that is a concept design for a potential mission in the coming centuries. To allow a direct technology comparison with Daedalus and provide an assessment of the maturity of fusion based space propulsion for future precursor missions. To generate greater interest in the real term prospects for interstellar precursor missions that are based on credible science. To motivate a new generation of scientists to be interested in designing space missions that go beyond our solar system.

32 Project Icarus: Requirements To design an unmanned probe that is capable of delivering useful scientific data about the target star, associated planetary bodies, solar environment and the interstellar medium. The spacecraft must use current or near future technology and be designed to be launched as soon as is credibly determined. The spacecraft must reach its stellar destination within as fast a time as possible, not exceeding a century and ideally much sooner. The spacecraft must be designed to allow for a variety of target stars. The spacecraft propulsion must be mainly fusion based (i.e. Daedalus). The spacecraft mission must be designed so as to allow some deceleration for increased encounter time at the destination.

33 Project Icarus: Programme Management

34 Project Vicarus: Computational (online) Launch

35 Project Icarus: Concept Development

36 Staging Daedalus

37 Project Icarus: Concept Development

38 Project Icarus: Concept Development

39 Caveat: Personal Speculation. The following is just the opinion of one designer as one possible option for where Icarus may go. It does not represent the official view of Project Icarus and it is predown select thinking, although some ideas from the team have been incorporated.

40 Project Icarus: Leviathan Concept [1] 1 st STAGE BOOST ENGINE [2] 2 nd STAGE BOOST ENGINE SCIENCE PAYLOAD EXOSOLAR HIGH GAIN ANTENNA [4] 3 rd STAGE DECELERATION ENGINE [3] = CRUISE Concept Daedalus Leviathan Total Dry S/c Mass (tons) 2,670 3,000 Total Propellant Mass (tons) 50,000 20,000 Propellant D/He3 D/T,D/D,p/B,p-,D/He3 Acceleration Time (Years) Cruise Time (Years) Deceleration Time (Years) 0 23 Total Trip Time (Years) Cruise Speed (km/s) 36,600 (12%c) 24,000 (8%c) Pulse Frequency (Hz) Pellet Gain Target Encounter Time ~4 days ~1 month [6] MAGSAIL & MECHANISMS [7] = MISSION ARRIVAL INTERSTELLAR ULTRA HIGH GAIN ANTENNA [5] MEDUSA SAIL, MECHAISMS & FUEL Fast ignition, shock ignition, Antimatter Catalyzed.

41 STARSHIP ASSEMBLED, TUGGED TO LAUCH SITE BY NTR/ION/PLASMA DRDIVE

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43 Project Icarus: Pathfinder & Starfinder Probe

44 Project Icarus: The Interstellar Roadmap

45 Project Icarus: The Interstellar Roadmap

46 The technical challenges to achieving interstellar flight are vast; power, energy, distance, speeds, assembly, fuel, cost,.. However, interstellar travel does appear to be feasible in principle, so in the future it should become reality. Fusion propulsion is one candidate (there are others). What may make us launch earlier is a compelling reason to go; habitable exoplanet, life, imminent threat. Meanwhile, the dreamers play with their calculators and prepare for that day. Creating a self-fulfilling Prophesy in space

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