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Project Mars Shield | Not Hacker News!

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Project Mars Shield

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anonymous

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Posted21 days agoActive21 days ago

Project Mars Shield

ideaotherresearchers, scientists, engineers

Key Features

Nuclear-Electric PropulsionHexagonal Magnetoplasma PropulsionAdvanced propulsion system design

space propulsionnuclear-electric propulsion

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magnetoplasma propulsion

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21 days ago

Other projects: https://zenodo.org/records/17943985 https://zenodo.org/records/17929227 https://zenodo.org/records/17927718 https://zenodo.org/records/17919592 https://zenodo.org/records/17909751 https://zenodo.org/records/17896284 https://zenodo.org/records/17885100 https://zenodo.org/records/17870334 https://zenodo.org/records/17809868

21 days ago

This paper presents MARS-SHIELD-NE, an enhanced nuclear-electric version of the integrated propulsion and radiation protection system for crewed Mars missions. The system employs six hydrogen-fueled magnetoplasma thrusters arranged in a hexagonal configuration, powered by a 100 kWe space nuclear reactor with water electrolysis for in-situ hydrogen production. The hexagonal architecture creates a 6-fold symmetric mini-magnetosphere providing simultaneous efficient propulsion and active radiation shielding. Performance analysis demonstrates operational specific impulse of 5,000-8,000 seconds, continuous thrust of 2-5 N, radiation dose reduction of 65%, and total launch mass of 45 metric tons. The nuclear-electric architecture enables 180-day Earth-Mars transits, overcoming solar power limitations while maintaining the integrated radiation protection benefits. Comparisons with VASIMR, NEXT ion thrusters, and chemical systems like Starship demonstrate significant advantages in mass efficiency, transit time, and mission sustainability. Keywords: Nuclear-Electric Propulsion, Magnetoplasma Thruster, Hydrogen Propellant, Water Electrolysis, Space Nuclear Reactor, Active Radiation Protection, Mars ISRU, Mini-Magnetosphere, Crewed Mars Missions.

View on Hacker NewsHN ID: 46288611Mood: informative

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