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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Chemical and electrical propulsion systems have proven to be highly successful for missions completed to date. They have taken us to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and to Mars and beyond in an unmanned capacity, but for future deep space and manned missions, more advance propulsion systems are needed. Nuclear Propulsion, either nuclear thermal or fusion propulsion are possible options. Fusion propulsion such as the Pulsed Fission-Fusion (PuFF) system can provide high thrust and specific impulse needed for long duration deep space or fast manned missions to the outer planets. The plasma in a pulsed fusion reactions expands equally in all directions unlike the uniform axial flow from traditional nozzle. The goal of this project is to design, build, and experimentally test a deflection magnetic nozzle for pulsed fusion propulsion from the subscale to larger scales. The tasks to be completed for each are to measure the magnetic fields of current magnetic nozzle configurations, characterize the properties of a pulsed plasma source, and to characterize plasma deflection within a magnetic nozzle. Plasma deflection within the nozzle will go a long ways in provided adding validity to the PuFF system.
Long duration deep space or fast manned missions to the outer planets require high thrust and specific impulse, which the Pulsed Fission-Fusion (PuFF) system can potentially provide.
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