- 3789 - NUCLEAR FUSION - is on the horizon? - The nuclear fusion propulsion announcement made this week, December ,2022, of fusion ignition is a major scientific advancement. This is decades in the making. More energy was produced in the fusion process than the laser energy used to create this first controlled fusion triumph.
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--------------------- 3789 - NUCLEAR FUSION - is on the horizon?
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- Fusion is the opposite if fission. It combines small atoms into bigger ones. Fission breaks down bigger atoms like uranium into lighter ones and releases radioactivity in the process.
- Crossing this threshold is the vision that has driven 60 years of dedicated pursuit. The nuclear fusion feat has broad implications, fueling hopes of clean, limitless energy. As for space exploration, one upshot from the landmark research is attaining the long-held dream of future rockets that are driven by fusion propulsion.
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- The idea is to accelerate particles using "magnetic reconnection," a process found throughout the universe, including the surface of the sun. It's when magnetic field lines converge, suddenly separate, and then join together again, producing loads of energy. By using more electromagnets and more magnetic fields new breakthroughs are coming.
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- Where we go as this evolves, and this seems to be several decades away, is toward actual fusion power plants here on Earth. But also for space exploration, we then have to consider how to reduce working fusion into something that can fit the size and weight constraints of a spacecraft.
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- Fusion propulsion is a much simpler technology to apply than fusion for energy. Exhaust speeds generated from a fusion plasma are calculated to be roughly one-thousand times that of a “Hall Effect Thruster“, electric propulsion hardware that makes use of electric and magnetic fields to create and eject a plasma.
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- Fusion propulsion the single most important emerging technology in the space economy. “Pulsar Fusion” is a company has been busy working on a direct fusion drive initiative, a steady state fusion propulsion concept that's based on a compact fusion reactor for use in space.
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- Pulsar Fusion has proceeded to a Phase 3 task, manufacturing an initial test unit. Static tests are slated to occur next year, 2023, followed by an in-orbit demonstration of the technology in 2027. Their Direct Fusion Drive is a compact nuclear fusion engine that could provide both thrust and electrical power for spaceships.
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- The net energy gain reported is certainly a significant milestone. Getting to a commercial electric power station from this recent milestone is likely to be a tough assignment. Space travel has always been tough. NASA has 'blazed the trail' that many commercial entities are now following does not mean space has gotten easier, but the new results have added to the aspirational goal for the future.
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December 15, 2022 NUCLEAR FUSION - is on the horizon? 3789
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