NASA Fusion Energy 21st Century Missions 1991

."-_ NASATechnical Memor_um4298 = ii:_usion Energyfor Space "'__;Missionsinthe21st Century ;!I-..j) Norman R.Schulze AUGUST1991 [:J':,[,D,D].],i:_71.,](.,:",,ILl-Y (;_S,t)<_77is CSCLISK unclas HI/7300457}6 _._-_.= =____-_--.Z-_-_-____,_<----_.....-_L ̧__-_ NASATechnical Memorandum4298 Fusion Energyfor Space Missionsinthe21st Century Norman R.Schulze NASAOfficeof Safetyand Mission Quality Washington,D.C. National Aeronauticsand Space Administration Officeof Management Scientificand Technical Information Program 1991 Futurespacemissionswerehypothesizedandanalyzedandtheenergysource fortheiraccompfishmentinvestigated. Themissionsincludedmanned Mars, scientificoutpoststoandroboticsamplereturnmissionsfromtheouterplanets andasteroids,aswellasfly-byandrendezvousmissionswiththe Oort Cloud andtheneareststar,Alpha Centauri,andevenbeyond. Spacesystem parametricrequirementsandoperationalfeatureswereestabfished. The energymeansforaccompfishingmissionswhere Avrequirementsrangefrom 90km/secto30,000km/sec(High Energy Space Mission)wereinvestigated. Theneedtodevelopapowerspaceofthismagnitudeisakeyissuetoaddress ifthe U.S.civilspaceprogramistocontinuetoadvanceasmandatedbythe National Space Policy. Potentialenergyoptionswhichcouldprovidethe propulsionandelectricalpowersystemandoperationalrequirementswere reviewedandevaluated. Fusionenergywasconsideredtobethepreferred optionformostlikelyfulfilfingthemissionrequirementsandwasanalyzedin depth. Candidatefusionfuelswereevaluatedbasedupontheenergyoutput andneutronflux. Inadditiontoitsmissionenablingperformance,fusionenergy canoffersignificantsafety,environmental,economic,andoperational advantages. Reactorsexhibitingahighlyefficientuseofmagneticfieldsfor spaceusewhileatthesametimeofferingefficientcoupfingtoanexhaust propellantortoadirectenergyconvertorforefficientelectricalproductionwere examined. Neartermapproacheswereidentified. Astrategythatwillproduce fusionpoweredvehiclesaspartofthespacetransportationinfrastructurewas developed. Spaceprogramresourcesmustbedirectedtowardthisissueasa matterofthetoppolicypriority. _iiiiiiiiii!i!i!iii!i!iii!iii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_i_iiiiiiiii_iiiiii_iiiiiiiii_ii_iiiiii_iiiii_i_i_iii_ii_iiiiii_i_i_iii_i_iii_iii_i_iii_ii_iiiiii_ii!i!ii_iiiiii!_iiii!iiiii!_iiii!_ii!iiii_iiiiii!i!_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iii!iiiiiiii_iiiiiiii_iiii!iiiiii_ii_ii_iiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiii_iiiii_iii_iiiiiiiiiiii_ii_ii_i!_iii_i_i_ii_ii_ii_i!_iiiiiiiii_iiii_iii_i!ii_iii_Iiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiii_ii_i_ii_iiiiiiiiiiii!iiiii!_i °°, III PRECEDINGPAGEBLANKNOTFILMED