PLASMA BALLON
One intriguing prospect is a propellant
less propulsion concept called as plasma sail. The concept was developed by
Robert Winglee, a scientist at the University
of Washington in Seattle. This Mini-Magnetosphere Plasma
Propulsion, or M2P2 for short, takes advantage of the natural environment of
space. M2P2 technology creates a huge magnetic bubble around an interplanetary
craft. In deploying the mini-magnetosphere, this plasma "balloon"
interacts with high-speed ionized particles shed by the Sun which, in turn,
push the vehicle through space. Plasma
sail technologies are faster
than
ion and chemical propulsion and therefore could cut conventional trip times to
the outer planets in half.
AEROCAPTURE
Aerocapture technology is a flight
maneuver that inserts a spacecraft into orbit around a planet or moon by using
the destination's atmosphere like a "brake." The dense atmosphere
creates friction, which is used to slow down a craft, transferring the energy
associated with the vehicle's high speed into heat. Therefore this approach
requires significant thermal protection. There is no need for any on-board
propulsion. The main advantage of aero capture is reduced mass and use of a
smaller, less-expensive launcher. This technique gets a vehicle to a
destination quickly, hastening start-up of science operations.
Aerocapture
is part of a unique family of "aero assist" technologies being
developed by NASA for science missions to any planetary body with an
appreciable atmosphere. These destinations could include Mars, Venus and
Saturn's moon Titan, along with the outer planets.
ANTIGRAVITY PROPULSION
