Overview of the VISTA Spacecraft Concept Powered by Inertial Confinement Fusion.

Orth, C. D.

Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee

关键词: Interplanetary spacecraft;    Space vehicles;    Manned spacecraft;    Propulsion system performance;    Systems analysis;   

RP-ID  :  DE200515013250

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

美国|英语

来源: National Technical Reports Library

【 摘 要 】

VISTA was conceived through a detailed systems analysis as a viable, realistic, and defensible spacecraft concept based on advanced ICF technology but existing or near-term technology for other systems. VISTA therefore has inherently high power/mass ratios and high specific impulses. With advanced ICF technology, ultra-fast roundtrips (RTs) to objects within the solar system are possible. Such short-duration missions are imperative to minimize the human physiological deteriorations arising from zero gravity and the cosmic-radiation. In addition, VISTA offers on-board artificial gravity and propellant-based shielding from cosmic rays, thus reducing the physiological deteriorations to insignificant levels. In this paper, we give an overview of the various vehicle systems for this concept, estimate the general missions performance capabilities for interplanetary missions, and describe in detail the performance for the baseline mission of a piloted roundtrip to Mars with a 100-ton payload