Direct Fusion Drive for a Human Mars Orbital Mission
Authors: Michael Paluszek, Gary Pajer, Yosef Razin, James Slonaker, Samuel Cohen, Russ Feder, Kevin Griffin, and Matthew Walsh
Abstract: The Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) is a nuclear fusion engine that produces both thrust and electric power. It employs a field reversed configuration with an odd-parity rotating magnetic field heating system to heat the plasma to fusion temperatures. The engine uses deuterium and helium-3 as fuel and additional deuterium that is heated in the scrape-off layer for thrust augmentation. In this way variable exhaust velocity and thrust is obtained.
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Presented at: The 65th International Astronautical Congress (AIC), 29 September - 3 October, 2014, Toronto, Canada.
Published in: Conference proceedings
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