Spacecraft Propulsion: Understanding Atmospheric Ion Engines

The Terran Space Academy offers a technical training course on advances in atmospheric ion propulsion discussing the necessary power systems and ion thruster technology to accomplish operational single stage to orbit transport, rescue and fighter craft.
TSA-SOV-TTM-UAIP-20185

[professordanfurmanek]

Retired University professor, this clearly shines a spotlight on the future of the Aerospace industry! I highly recommend the Terran Academy for all science students!

[KraussEMUS]

There are over 40 videos of VTOL capable ion propelled crafts with onboard power on my channel. In some of the videos they are shown carrying extra small propellant tanks or a small camera and video transmitter.

[Pzldr]

Interesting... I wonder how they could be used for ION (or other) type engines for light spacecraft design for local travel use around Moon and Mars.

[taylorwestmore]

Check out Ethan Krauss ion craft. It has vastly more thrust than the MIT ion plane, enough to carry it's own power supply and hover for about 30 seconds. And he did it before MIT, but they'll still try to take the credit for making the first 'winged' ion craft...

In reality the magnetohydrodynamic and electrohydrodynamic techniques for flight were quietly perfected by private aerospace companies working with the military over the last 70 years. External surface MHD propulsion very much resembles your stereotypical "UFO" or flying saucer: glowing plasma around the hull and silent acceleration through precise sub-sonic flow control of the ambient plasma medium. Pure oxygen is a good working gas for initiating the plasma field as it has a very low ionization energy. Then you may dump fuel on the leading surface of the vehicle, preferably hydrogen but jet fuel would work, and allow it to combust along the convex surface of the aircraft rear half, converting the entire aircraft into an aerospike engine. This distributes the forces on the body of the vehicle better than an internal combustion engine and an aerospike has the benefit of being efficient at all altitudes, since the gas always optimally expanded.

[michaelnewman]

This is encouraging news. Could thorium reactors help provide the energy required?

[clementvining]

I came across an ion jet engine in development that uses 1 kilowatt to get 28 newtons of thrust using micro waves, but it needs compressed air like a jet. Is this as efficient as the engine you are talking about in this video? Also I was thinking these engines take alot of power is there maybe a way to merge this type of engine with a scramjet. Now I know it would use more fuel but you would need less electrical energy and get the speed up to maybe mock 14. Then also use the boussard ramjet by the air intake also take in ionized air. Then ion drive all in one engine. Fuel can also be used at each stage when needed. I don't remember but I thing you need mock 5 or 6 for a scam jet to work. Unless you can get it to work at a lower speed with ion thrust. It is simply something I have been thinking about. In this way we could take off from a airport and not have to freeze the air which seems to be hard to do.

Also I came across a design where there is high power generators built into the engines. This design was to be able to use high powered lasers on a fighter jet. But in this case to supply some of the power needed. I would like to know your thoughts on hybrid engines using some of these combination technologies. Another thing useing airospike technology with this.

[clementvining]

One part shows 1.2 terawatts is that required energy? If so antimatter fusion would be more cost effective. And yes we can make enough antimatter if we have a 2 billion dollar factory build to produce it as fuel. We could produce between 5 to 10 grams a year. Using a magnetic trap with a tiny amount of antimatter carbon isotope base core to attract the antimatter particles to form antimatter atoms. The cooling ring only needs enough power to contain the antimatter while it slows and forms atoms on it's own. The factory will be solar powered. Needed antimatter for antimatter fusion is in the micro grams. Even using it as a heat source for propellants would only take milligrams to get to orbit.

[carlbrown]

Ion propulsion would make ozone and choke out all life on the planet.!!🤔