Attaching the VASIMR engine likely would require the services of spacewalking astronauts, but after installation it would be run from inside the outpost or remotely from ground control stations. It could actually be used to position the station, though the timing would be tricky, Glover added. The company is looking to launch the engine in 2011 or 2012. The purpose of having it on the station would be to test how the engine performs in the vacuum of space without having to undertake the additional costs and complexities of developing and flying communications systems, power supplies and other services to support the tests. Glover sees no conflict with his firm's hopes to capture lunar transport business from NASA and the agency's plans to develop its own crew and cargo haulers under the Orion program. "NASA has said repeatedly that it's open to private enterprise," Glover said. "If we develop on our own nickel this lunar cargo transportation system that would be complementary and helpful to NASA's efforts." NASA plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 as the first step toward permanently extending humanity's presence beyond low-Earth orbit. While the VASIMR engine Ad Astra plans to test would not be suitable for transporting people, it could stash fuel in lunar orbit for return trips to Earth. Eventually, the rocket engine could be upscaled to run off a nuclear reactor to power forays to Mars and beyond. The advantage of nuclear-produced electricity to generate radio waves is that travel time to Mars could be cut from about nine months to 39 days. Related Links: |
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