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DTRA’s advancements in nuclear and radiological detection
A new, more complex nuclear age has begun. Echoing the tensions of the Cold War amid rapidly evolving nuclear and radiological threats, preparedness in the modern age is a contest of scientific innovation. The Research and Development Directorate (RD) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is charged with winning this contest.
George H. Miley et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 56 | Number 1 | July 2009 | Pages 533-539
Experimental Facilities and Nonelectric Applications | Eighteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST09-A8958
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Earlier studies have described Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) fusion power concepts using either D-He3 or p-B11 fuels to provide a high-power density fusion propulsion system capable of aggressive deep space missions. However, this requires a large multi-GW thruster forcing a long term development program. As a first step, we examine here a progression of near-term IEC thrusters, stating with a 1-10 kWe electrically-driven IEC jet thruster for satellites followed by a small 50-100 kW IEC fusion thruster module for next generation large deep space spacecraft. The initial electrically-powered unit is a novel multi-jet plasma thruster based on spherical IEC technology using electrical input power from a solar panel. This type of unit is discussed and its advantages for next step electrically driven units are identified.