Kickstarter got us used to things like the Jorno foldable mobile keyboard, open source, low-cost 3D printers, microSD adapters for ARM mini PCs, etc.
Essentially, given our experience with the website, we weren't prepared to stumble upon a project meant to fund the creation of means for interplanetary transportation.
Yet here we are:
HyperV Technologies Corp. have submitted
plans for what they call “a prototype electric pulsed plasma jet thruster for reliable, high performance, low cost interplanetary space transportation.”
The company possesses knowledge of and experience with plasma jet accelerators used in fusion energy and high energy density plasma physics.
It is their belief that the same basic pulsed plasma jet technology (a device than runs on superheated ionized particles) can be adapted for extra endurance and lower cost.
“A plasma accelerator is a device which forms a slug of hot, ionized particles, or plasma, and launches these plasma pulses at high velocity,” they explain.
Basically, HyperV Technologies Corp. believes that pulsed plasma jets can significantly decrease the cost of spacecraft electric propulsion.
They go so far as to say that their project can enable robotic and even manned expeditions to other planets.
“We invite you, the citizens of Earth, to join with us as we design, construct, test, and execute this demonstration. The culmination of this project will be an all-up, laboratory demonstration of our prototype thruster.,” Chris Faranetta promises on the project filing.
“You will be updated via our Kickstarter Blog, Facebook, Twitter and uploaded video of the firing posted to our website.”
HyperV need to raise $69,000 by November 3, 2012, which is roughly the same as €52,900. If the funding goal is met, they will go forward with building the first prototype, with a specific impulse (Isp) of 2000 sec. That means an exhaust velocity of 20,000 m/s.
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