Second Generation Engines

Hybrid Launch Vehicle

Terrestrial Applications

In equation 2, is the average velocity in the direction of the thrust vector. This implies that an ideal application for a second generation engine would be asteroid deflection, where a very small velocity change is required orthogonal to the velocity vector of the asteroid itself. Thus a 1 kW engine, powered and cooled by a 24kW nuclear power source would provide sufficient thrust to impart a 0.2 m/sec deflection velocity to an asteroid weighing 1.5 billion tonnes, over a 1 year thrust period. If the thrust vector is maintained orthogonal to the asteroid velocity, a deflection of 300,000 km would be achieved over 10 years, for an asteroid of approximately 1 km diameter.