3 ms·
No. It's not energy-positive, fusion provides less powe than is put in. Instead it's a way to produce very energetic exhaust, resulting in better fuel economy.
by cyberax 3y ago
No. It's not energy-positive, fusion provides less powe than is put in. Instead it's a way to produce very energetic exhaust, resulting in better fuel economy.
- actionfromafar 3y agoWasn't it worse fuel economy (lower ISP) but higher thrust?
- cryptonector 3y agoNo, this would be heating the propellant to higher temperatures than chemical reactions can get -- in principle one could get much more than 50% extra ISP for the same propellant mass. In rocketry/satellites/deep space propellant mass is a big deal -- anything you can do to reduce the amount you need without having to gain even more mass in other ways is a big win.