I spotted something that got me interested in the latest rocket technology. I have read a bit about ion thrusters in the past but now I see there is a whole category of "advanced plasma rocket propulsion technologies".New scientist discussed an idea that these modern rocket concepts could reduce the flight time of a trip to mars from six months (using conventional rockets) to 39 days using a new rocket engine called VASIMR (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket).
Last night I was talking to someone who said that news agencies have lost the edge because blogs are often more up to date on the latest developments in specific specialist areas. Fascinating concept - the world is changing. Had I been watching the right blog (note to self - find it) I would have known that 24 June 2009 was a significant day in advanced rocket testing history. This is when the first superconducting test was performed on VASIMR. Of course the place to watch is the horses mouth.
I wanted to look at rocket and engine classifications and then discovered (as expected) that it's a wide field that needs much more time and study.
No comments:
Post a Comment