Project Icarus: Nuclear Fusion Space Propulsion

Kelvin F.Long

Vice President (Europe) Icarus Interstellar

kflong@icarusinterstellar.org www.icarusinterstellar.org

Interstellar precursor missions Project Orion Propulsion Landscape Fusion Physics Fusion Propulsion for Interstellar Spacecraft Design Concepts Project Daedalus Project Icarus

• Concept Development • Icarus Leviathan • Icarus Roadmap

Conclusions

Contents

Acknowledgements: Project Icarus team

Deep Space Precursor Missions

Project Orion, 1950s-1960s

Propulsion Landscape

D + T He4(3.52MeV) + n(14.06MeV)

D + D T(1.01MeV) + p(3.03MeV)

D + D He3(0.82MeV) +n(2.45MeV)

D + He3 He4(3.67MeV) + p(14.67MeV)

Li6 + n T + He4 + 4.8MeV

Li7 + n T + He4 + n - 2.5MeV

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)

Fusion Reactions

sKeVmTn 32110

smn 32010

Confinement n

Inertial ~1023cm-3 <1ns

Magnetic 10-6cm-3 ~few sec

For ~10keV plasma

Lawson, (Proc.Phys.Soc, 1957)

Fusion Triple Product

Flyby Mission: 1-4 Stage

Fusion Energy for Space Missions in the 21st

Century, NASA TM4298, Normal R.Schulze, August

1991.

Enzmann (Slow Boat) Colony Starship, 1960s

Bussard Interstellar Ramjet, 1960

Project Vista, 1987 - 2000

Project Longshot, 1988

Project Daedalus, 1973 - 1978

Galactic War, Andrew Reid

Andrew Farmer

Shigemi Numazawa

Adrian Mann Adrian Mann

Don Dixon Don Davis

David A Hardy/astroart

Rick Sternbach

Adrian Mann

Project Daedalus

Project Daedalus

Project Daedalus

Project Daedalus

Project Daedalus

The purpose of Project Icarus has been defined as follows:

To design a credible interstellar probe

that is a concept design for a potential mission in the coming centuries.

To allow a direct technology comparison with Daedalus and provide an assessment of the maturity of fusion based space propulsion for future precursor missions.

To generate greater interest in the real term prospects for interstellar precursor missions that are based on credible science.

To motivate a new generation of scientists to be interested in designing space missions that go beyond our solar system.

Project Icarus, 2009 -

http://icarusinterstellar.org/

To design an unmanned probe that is capable of delivering useful scientific data about the target star, associated planetary bodies, solar environment and the interstellar medium.

The spacecraft must use current or near future technology and be designed to be launched as soon as is credibly determined.

The spacecraft must reach its stellar destination within as fast a time as possible, not exceeding a century and ideally much sooner.

The spacecraft must be designed to allow for a variety of target stars.

The spacecraft propulsion must be mainly fusion based (i.e. Daedalus).

The spacecraft mission must be designed so as to allow some deceleration for increased encounter time at the destination.

Project Icarus: Requirements

Project Icarus: Programme Management

Project Vicarus: Computational (online) Launch

Project Icarus: Concept Development

Staging Daedalus

Project Icarus: Concept Development

Project Icarus: Concept Development

Caveat: Personal Speculation.

The following is just the opinion of one designer as ‘one possible’ option for where

Icarus may go. It does not represent the official view of Project Icarus and it is pre-down select thinking, although some ideas

from the team have been incorporated.

[5] MEDUSA SAIL,

MECHAISMS &

FUEL

INTERSTELLAR

ULTRA HIGH GAIN

ANTENNA

[1] 1st STAGE

BOOST ENGINE

[2] 2nd STAGE

BOOST ENGINE

SCIENCE

PAYLOAD

[4] 3rd STAGE

DECELERATION

ENGINE

EXOSOLAR HIGH

GAIN ANTENNA

[6] MAGSAIL &

MECHANISMS

Concept Daedalus Leviathan

Total Dry S/c Mass (tons) 2,670 3,000

Total Propellant Mass (tons) 50,000 20,000

Propellant D/He3 D/T,D/D,p/B,p-

,D/He3

Acceleration Time (Years) 3.8 3

Cruise Time (Years) 46 74

Deceleration Time (Years) 0 23

Total Trip Time (Years) 49 100

Cruise Speed (km/s) 36,600 (12%c) 24,000 (8%c)

Pulse Frequency (Hz) 250 50

Pellet Gain 30-60 200-1500

Target Encounter Time ~4 days ~1 month

[3] = CRUISE

[7] = MISSION ARRIVAL

Fast ignition, shock ignition,

Antimatter Catalyzed.

Project Icarus: Leviathan Concept

STARSHIP ASSEMBLED, TUGGED TO LAUCH SITE BY NTR/ION/PLASMA DRDIVE

Project Icarus: Pathfinder & Starfinder Probe

Project Icarus: The Interstellar Roadmap

Project Icarus: The Interstellar Roadmap

The technical challenges to achieving interstellar flight are vast; power, energy, distance, speeds, assembly, fuel, cost,…..

However, interstellar travel does appear to be feasible in principle, so in the future it should become reality. Fusion propulsion is one candidate (there are others).

What may make us launch earlier is a compelling reason to go; habitable exoplanet, life, imminent threat.

Meanwhile, the dreamers play with their calculators and prepare for that day.

• “Creating a self-fulfilling Prophesy in space”

www.icarusinterstellar.org