Open Questions: Spacecraft and Space Propulsion

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Introduction

Recommended references: Web sites

Recommended references: Magazine/journal articles

Recommended references: Books

Introduction

Recommended references: Web sites

Site indexes

SpaceRef: Future Technology: External links to pages dealing with various propulsion technologies (and other space exploration technology).

Sites with general resources

NASA Space Science: Project Prometheus: Information on a planned project to develop space propulsion systems using ion engines and fission or radioisotope nuclear-electric power.
NASA Human Spaceflight: Propulsion: Overview of propulsion technologies. More detail may be found at Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory.
Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies: Research and development in the School of Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Site describes research projects and provides related resources.
Cosmos 1: The First Solar Sail Spacecraft: Describes a project of The Planetary Society that will test the idea of solar sails in space for the first sime
Cosmos 1 Official Mission Tracking Site: News and general information related to the privately-funded Cosmos 1 project.
SMART-1: Experimental mission of the European Space Agency, whose "primary objective is to flight test Solar Electric Primary Propulsion." The site includes articles on SMART-1 Propulsion and several more on Electric Spacecraft Propulsion in general. Related pages: SMART-1 overview, SMART-1 factsheet, Ion drive versus chemical rocket comparison. Another general page on SMART-1: here.
Electric Propulsion Laboratory (EPL): Research facility of the European Space Agency that focuses on space propulsion technology, especially low/medium power electric propulsion.
In-Space Propulsion: "A broad collaborative team of scientific and engineering researchers and technologists at NASA field centers, university laboratories, and other government and commercial facilities." Purpose is "to significantly reduce the time and cost required for spacecraft to reach their destinations."
NASA Breakthrough Propulsion Physics (BPP) Project: BPP was a NASA-sponsored project from 1996 to 2002 that investigated the possibilities of exotic propulsion technologies which required no propellant mass and could achieve maximum speeds.
Warp Drive, When?: An assessment by Marc Millis "of the prospects for achieving the propulsion breakthroughs that would enable such far-future visions of interstellar travel." The "web site focuses on the propulsion related issues, explaining the challenges of interstellar travel, existing propulsion ideas, and the possibilities emerging from scientific literature that may one day provide the desired breakthroughs."

Surveys, overviews, tutorials

Spacecraft propulsion: Article from Wikipedia.
NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT): Information on NASA's next generation (post-2007) ion propulsion system.
Ion Propulsion: Information on the ion propulsion engine used in the Dawn spacecraft.
Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear: Interview with space propulsion expert Paul A. Czysz about possible nuclear power propulsion systems.
Interstellar Spaceflight: Is It Possible?: December 2005 article from Physorg.com. Discusses light sail, nuclear fusion, Bussard ramjet, and antimatter propulsion systems.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ion Propulsion: Information provided by NASA, in relation to the Deep Space 1 mission (which uses ion propulsion).
Solar Electric (Ion) Propulsion: Information on the ion propulsion engine used in the Deep Space 1 mission.
Dual Stage Four Grid Thruster Development: News and information about an ion propulsion system.
Magnetized Beamed Plasma Propulsion (MagBeam): Magbeam propulsion is "a system where large power units are placed permanently in orbit around critical regions of a planet. With a beamed plasma system, spacecraft can be pushed or pulled to perform orbital transfers around the planet or accelerated to other planets at essentially no cost."
Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion (M2P2): "Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion (M2P2) is an advanced plasma propulsion system that will enable spacecraft to attain unprecedented speeds, with minimal energy and mass requirements. It will create a large scale magnetic bubble around the spacecraft to ride the solar winds, and accelerate the spacecraft to unprecedented speeds."
Plasma Thruster: Transcript of August 2004 Australian TV program about a new type of ion/plasma propulsion system.
Setting sail for the stars: May 12, 2000 BBC news story about space sail technology.

Recommended references: Magazine/journal articles

Zip Drive
Ed Regis
Wired, January 2001, pp. 96-108: 2018 may be the most reasonable target date for a manned mission to Mars. Various propulsion technologies are being developed as alternatives. Plasma devices such as Vasimr are one candidate, but there are others, including conventional chemical rockets, Hall effect thrusters, and field emission electric propulsion.
The VASIMR Rocket
Franklin R. Chang Diaz
Scientific American, November 2000, pp. 90-97: VASIMR is an acronym for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket. This type of propulsion system attempts to combine the advantages of powerful, fuel-guzzling rockets witm more efficient but significantly weaker technologies.
21st-Century Spacecraft
Freeman J. Dyson
Scientific American, September 1995, pp. 114-116A: There are at least five promising space propulsion systems: nuclear-electric propulsion, solar-electric propulsion, laser propulsion, solar sails, and electromagnetic ram accelerators. The author believes solar-electric propulsion has the edge.

Recommended references: Books

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