The Amazing VASMIR
For those who don’t know, VASMIR is an acronym that stands for VAriable Specific Impulse Rocket. For those still a bit confused, it’s a plasma rocket. The design of this rocket started with research in the 1960′s and 1970′s. The research was focused on creating and sustaining a “sun-like plasma substance here on earth”. To create this sun-like substance, material has to be heated to sun-like temperatures, which is in the neighborhood of 5,800 Kelvin (or 9,980 degrees Fahrenheit). Of course, there’s not a container on earth that can hold this substance, so work was done on constructing massive electromagnetic fields to hold it.
Fast-forward a few years, a Ph.D. and the start of an astronaut career, and you have one Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, taking this idea of massive electromagnetic fields and transforming it into the next-gen space propulsion system. The unique thing about VASMIR is it’s simplicity in concept (of course, the physics and mathematics behind it are a bit more complicated). Essentially, Dr. Chang-Diaz is taking some inert gas, using strong magnetic fields to transform this gas into a plasma by stripping away electrons and allowing nature to follow its course. This course includes some electrons and ions swirling at various angles, gaining momentum, and finally transferring that circular motion into axial (or longitudinal) motion. At this point, Sir Isaac Newton takes over with basic laws of motion (“equal and opposite reactions and such), and the bigger, heavier ions produce small amounts of moment on the engine, thus propelling it forward.
Sill with me? Good.
Initially, Dr. Chang-Diaz convinced Johnson Space Center to house his VASMIR rocket hardware on sight. This is notable because JSC is not a propulsion research lab. However, JSC and NASA management agreed to let Dr. Chang-Diaz house, and test, his rocket on sight. Fast forward again through a few more years of research and shuttle flights, and the now Former Astronaut Dr. Chang-Diaz is the president and CEO of Ad Astra (Latin for “to the stars”) Rocket Company. His rocket is now bigger and better. During the presentation I attended today, there were no mention of the actual amount of thrust produced at the nozzle by VASMIR, but he did mention that VASMIR was close to producing enough thrust to provide a reboost capability to the ISS.
VASMIR, however, isn’t without it’s limitations. Perhaps the biggest one is that it’s a space-only system. In other words, it needs the microgravity of space to operate. It simply doesn’t have enough power to get off the ground in a large gravity field like the earth has. However, what it lacks in raw power, it more than makes up for economically. Without giving away any numbers (because I simply don’t remember them and I don’t want to misquote Dr. Chang-Diaz), let’s just say that Dr. Chang-Diaz and Ad Astra is doing the same thing his competition is doing for a fraction of the cost.
So here is a NASA project turned private company that could very well help NASA and the private space industry reach out into space. How cool is that? By the way, this lecture was the first in a series of lectures being produced by the Advanced Planning Office at JSC. The APO is tasked with, among other things, producing a 20 year plan for JSC and coming up with a plan to implement that plan. From my own personal understanding, this 20 year plan is to include ways in which JSC can further the reach of man into space, among other, center-specific items that they will tackle. So if you’re at (or have access to) JSC, I would suggest you attend these series of lectures and speeches. There is sure to be some good information coming from them.
Justin Kugler on March 25th, 2008
I spent the summer of 2000 in the Advanced Space Propulsion Lab (well before Franklin took it private). I had an absolute blast (pun intended) and even got to meet James Cameron.
John Benac on April 10th, 2008
I’ve been following the VASMIR for years and it seems like a totally awesome idea. Currently, the ISS vents excess hydrogen anyway that is left over from the electrolysis to produce oxygen for the ECLSS system.
With plans for another element to combine CO2 and H2 to produce water and methane to close the loop a bit. Could the VASMIR ionize methane?
Justin Kugler on April 10th, 2008
It’s theoretically possible, but it would probably be more efficient to just feed it the excess H2.
Mensah on April 10th, 2008
Currently, VASMIR uses Argon, the inert gas to produce it’s thrust. I’m no chemical engineer, but I would imagine a heavier molecule like methane would require further steps to “crack” and ionize than what VASMIR currently uses. As for H2, that’s a possibility, but I don’t know enough about the ionization process(es) of either Argon or H2 to make any sort of educated prediction, but my guess based on the simplicity of an H2 molecule versus CH4 would suggest that H2 would be the way to go.
That, and you’d have to figure out something to do with the spare carbon from cracking methane.
John Benac on April 10th, 2008
Ionizing just strips an electron. The entire Methane molecule, sans one electron, would be ejected.
I believe the whole purpose of this operation is to eliminate excess hydrogen by bonding it with the oxygen in CO2.
H2 + CO2 -> CH4 + H2O
If the there is more H2 than there is C02 for it to be bonded with, then there will be H2 to ionize and squirt out the VASMIR. If there is more CO2 than there is H2 to bond it with, then there will only be CH4 (methane) left over to be used by the VASMIR.
Either one can be Ionized.
Justin Kugler on April 10th, 2008
IIRC, they use the inert gases because they are relatively safe and easy to work with. For Mars vehicles, they were definitely thinking hydrogen when I was there.
john gennis on November 14th, 2009
I been following this engine for years: I would say that “nasa” will be dead and gone, having been absorbed by the military and private enterprise, before vasmir will fly, if it’s ever used. Many projects that have amazing stats, are just that: amazing but limited. This is the handicap that we all face. Nasa can’t go back to the moon because they have forgotten how, all the german engineers that put us on the moon were all forced out in the late 70′s because nasa finally bowed under pressure from the state dep and covening agencies to account for all the nazi/german scientists that came to this country when the war ended. Sure: we gave em a job, beat the soviets at everthing. The soviets might have beat us into space, both with Sputnik and Yuri, but we beat them to the moon, all with the help of Von braun, Lippitz, Walter, Dittmar, and Opitz. We would not have gone to the moon if not for the germans and the work done on high speed airplanes in the 1930′s in germany, or the german wonderweapons programs. Then we turn around 20 years after we hired em and throw em out because they worked for a despotic, tyranical idiot, that murdered 15 million people. Yes thats genocide, and is unrepayable: The german scientists in the 1960′s while they did work in germany during the third richt, had nothing to do with hitlers final solution. Hitler didn’t even have anything to do with it. It was all the gestopo, waffen ss, death head brigade, etc. Point is that nasa is two burecraticly bogged down today to remember how to go to another planet. for those of us that remember: nasa had the right stuff at one time, NOT NOW………………
From what i remember-the vasmir could go to mars in 5 weeks, fuel up and come back in 6 weeks, thrusting continually-thats the ticket to spaceflight, the ability not to have to “shutdown” to save fuel. If you can do that-the distances in our own “backyard” get just a little shorter and easier to reach. From what else i remember-Neptune in 7 months, not seven years!!!!!!!
Excalibur on April 8th, 2010
VASMIR stands for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, which is quite a fascinating and promising propulsion technology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V.....sma_Rocket
Dr. Rudy Jacobson on May 25th, 2010
Our small group of engineers has invented an electricity power system that uses no batteries or fuels and NASA could use this free electricity power system Free of Charge if they so desire to use its very High Power to assist the plasma drive, or for the power for MARS and Moon explore vehicles that can have high wattage 3-phase power systems without relying on light from our sun. I live in Austin and you can call me anytime at 512-445-2660. Rudy
Dr. Nenad Raos on July 1st, 2010
What’s that – perpetuum mobile? The most important
problem in VASMIR rocket is (electric) power.
There is not yet nuclear power plant in space.
It has to be designed.
raos on July 1st, 2010
I see a problem with VASMIR: that is (electrical)
energy needed for propulsion. From which source
this energy will came from? Premumably nuclear.
Have you an appropriate nuclear power plant to
run in the space?
Chris on April 28th, 2011
I don’t believe there is a designed and tested nuclear power plant for this purpose. I would suggest that this would be an ideal place for either a nuclear powered sterling cycle or brayton cycle engine. There is some gen IV work for larger brayton cycle power plants which should be somewhat scalable.