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The idea is 20 years old and comes from Manfred Hettmer, president Austrian Mars Society: With the help of one on "Alfven waves" of based plasma propulsion the thrust of a rocket can be drastically reduced increased, at the same time the fuel consumption, so the idea.
And actually, according to tests the plasma propulsion leads to a fuel saving of approximately 90 per cent - and that is not little thing: "with satellites the fuel up to 50 per cent of the weight constitutes, because on it also the life span depends. Without drive cannot be maintained the accurate position finally ", so project co-ordinator Andreas grass-sourly. This Austrian development could lead therefore to substantial changes with future space projects.
Basis of the development is a discovery of the physics Nobelpreistraegers Hannes Alfven in the year 1942. Alfven busy itself among other things with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which describes the reciprocal effect of an electrically leading fluid with electrical and magnetic fields. So for example the propagation mentioned by waves in this liquid - today "Alfven waves".
Now there is for the first time a technical conversion of the "Alfven waves", which could introduce "a new era in the area of the propulsion technologies in the universe", so grass-sourly. The most substantial characteristic of the technology is ten times a higher flow-out rate, which otherwise only by a nuclear fusion engine - which (still) does not exist - is attainable. The measurements were accomplished on the basis a prototype in a vacuum chamber. In addition corrosion was avoided, since the thrust takes place via the magnetic nozzle outside of the object.
On the part of the economy interest in the project was already stated, at which beside grass sour and Hettmer also the experimental physicist Norbert freshon, system engineer Tobias Bartusch as well as petrol Koudelka of DO Graz are involved. On 15 October the plasma propulsion is presented to that for the first time in Japan on a congress internationally Aeronautic Federation (FAI). (APA/jule)
