Princeton Satellite Systems have released their final NIAC Phase 1 report:http://www.psatellite.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/NIAC_Thomas_FusionToPluto_PhaseI-distrib.pdf
Would like to see mission parameters (days, total mass) to closer targets, like Mars and Jupiter.
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/10/lpp-fusion-claims-to-have-achieved-nuclear-fusion-confinement-record-of-200-kiloelectron-volts.html2 billion kelvin?
Still under peer review as of press time was a paper submitted to the journal Physics of Plasmas, in which Lerner and his coauthors claim to have produced a confined mean ion energy of 200 kiloelectron volts, equivalent to a temperature of over 2 billion kelvins. “As far as we know, that’s a record for any fusion plasma,” Lerner says.
Hypothetically, if the Dense Focus Fusion approach could be made to work, then how could it most effectively be used for spacecraft propulsion?Since it uses aneutronic fusion, which minimizes the radiation hazard, then could it be feasible for propelling a launch vehicle from Earth to Orbit? If so, then what would that propulsion system look like? Could that fan-rocket concept from John Bucknell be driven by Dense Focus Fusion power?
Yeah, compact fusion of any sort would revolutionize spaceflight.
Quote from: QuantumG on 10/18/2017 06:04 pmYeah, compact fusion of any sort would revolutionize spaceflight.Especially if it were hooked up to one of these propellentless drives that only needs a power supply to feed it.Then we send out the interstellar probes in all directions.
Lockheed Martin Now Has a Patent For Its Potentially World Changing Fusion Reactor
Newly-awarded patent for Skunk Works engineer shows design of compact fusion reactor, with a drawing of an F-16 included as a potential application. Testing of a prototype reactor is underway in Palmdale. (link: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/24/5a/0c/0b80839516d6f0/US20180047462A1.pdf) patentimages.storage.g
Even more interesting is that the patent was granted mere weeks after Putin announced flight-tested hypersonic fission-powered cruise missiles...
While I do think that this is good news, I am less optimistic about their schedule than the article on The Drive. From what I understand, LM is still a few years away from having a prototype. They had a pretty long funding gap, that was only closed recently (last year or 2016, IIRC). So that would have delayed progress significantly. It is important to understand that optimistic schedules given by fusion research teams always assume adequate funding. Without that, dates slip.
Quote from: sghill on 03/27/2018 01:19 pmEven more interesting is that the patent was granted mere weeks after Putin announced flight-tested hypersonic fission-powered cruise missiles...This wasn’t classified so either this isn’t going anywhere fast or the important stuff was kept out of it.
Quote from: Star One on 03/27/2018 01:26 pmQuote from: sghill on 03/27/2018 01:19 pmEven more interesting is that the patent was granted mere weeks after Putin announced flight-tested hypersonic fission-powered cruise missiles...This wasn’t classified so either this isn’t going anywhere fast or the important stuff was kept out of it.Classified is irrelevant, only government projects can be classified, and as far as I know this is a 100% internally funded project (IRAD) so everything about it is unclassified.Quote from: Elmar Moelzer on 03/27/2018 02:01 pmWhile I do think that this is good news, I am less optimistic about their schedule than the article on The Drive. From what I understand, LM is still a few years away from having a prototype. They had a pretty long funding gap, that was only closed recently (last year or 2016, IIRC). So that would have delayed progress significantly. It is important to understand that optimistic schedules given by fusion research teams always assume adequate funding. Without that, dates slip.As far as I know, there has been no funding gap. There have been just a couple official updates since the original announcement, and they were always along the lines of "Yes, we are still funding it, in fact, it just passed an internal milestone for increased funding levels." Still, there likely is 1-2 years of delay, just because that is what happens.
... and if it's anything to due with nuclear isotopes, it's "born secret".
US government reserves the right to classify some patent applications (and I believe Ph.D dissertations?) in the name of national security, which makes life complicated since you then can't get proper patent protection of an idea and you can't develop it easily since it has to be locked down with SCIF's.