(NASA) Scientists and engineers are gathering in Pasadena, CA, to discuss cutting-edge research in space transportation.
The 11th annual Advanced Space Propulsion Research Workshop begins today at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and will run through June 2, 2000. The workshop is sponsored by JPL and the Marshall Space Flight Center.
This year's sessions are packed full with scientists who will share their research and new ideas about how humans and robotic probes will cross the gulf of space to other planets and stars. Topics include advanced chemical propulsion, nuclear fission propulsion, solar sails, tethers, micropropulsion, advanced electrical propulsion, and fusion propulsion.
Science@NASA will cover the conference with a series of stories over the next ten days focusing on solar sails, space tethers, ion propulsion, fusion-powered spacecraft and more. A detailed agenda is available at the workshop's web site. Read on for a preview of workshop highlights!
Wednesday, May 31
Today's first session will begin with a series of overviews describing basic propulsion research themes within NASA. Robert L. Sackheim from the Marshall Space Flight Center will lead off with a discussion of the importance of nuclear power for future space missions. While solar cells are ideal for some applications, compact nuclear reactors are better for others, such as propelling large spacecraft that would require huge solar arrays.
"For example, to create the one kilowatt of power necessary to run a microwave oven you'd need ten square yards of solar array," said JPL's Dr. Robert H. Frisbee, technical coordinator of this year's conference. "You could produce 100 kilowatts from a nuclear power reactor that is the size of a trash can plus extras like radiators and power conversion systems."
Other presentations will touch on technologies that might allow humans to travel farther in space at a reasonable cost, such as ion propulsion and the "Gossamer Initiative." Speakers will even tackle mind-bending "breakthrough physics" solutions like warp drives and worm holes. While these concepts are still theoretical, in some cases these theories are being tested and might result in a revolution in space propulsion.
A selection of topics for the remainder of the day will include sessions on "bimodal" propulsion that would allow a rocket to escape Earth's orbit on a high thrust and then switch over to low thrust in deep space (resulting in better fuel economy), radio isotopes for smaller-sized systems, and a variety of chemical propulsion systems, such as those using more exotic chemicals like metallic hydrogen, and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) systems that excite outside air using electrical energy and in turn produce more thrust, allowing for more efficient fuel usage.
For those who want even more cutting edge information, Gerald A. Smith, from Pennsylvania State University, and Steven D. Howe, from Synergistic Technologies, will be discussing high density storage of antimatter and the possible applications of quantum mechanics.
Full Story: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast31may_1m.htm?lis t