[NIAC 2023] Fusion Reactor To Melt Through Europa's Ice
Universe Today Podcast
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High ISP on the Earth 10 to the 7, 10 Million Seconds
Theresa and I gave a talk at the American Nuclear Society, and that's 22, talking about a high ISP reaction. We have measured using nuclear track detectors that we get fast alphas coming off at five to six million electron volts. That's going at 5% the speed of light. And because an alpha particle has a charge, you can direct it magnetically. Now there are issues with how do you detach that particle from your spacecraft so that it goes out one end and doesn't come back around on you, for example. But if you've got particles leaving at 5%. You're now looking at ISPs in post and seconds of huge amounts.
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