20000021516

Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center propose the External Pulsed Plasma Propulsion (EPPP) system, specifically the GABRIEL framework, as a high-performance solution for human interplanetary exploration and asteroid deflection. This 1999 report argues that utilizing plasma waves from small fission pulses offers superior thrust and specific impulse compared to conventional chemical or nuclear thermal technologies. The authors conclude that EPPP provides a feasible path for ambitious 21st-century space missions using well-understood physics and existing materials.