Documents / Report
This unclassified Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency is dated 2 March 2010. It was produced in FY 2009 under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. The report reviews work on using positrons as aerospace fuel. It covers air-breathing turbojet and ramjet engines, unmanned aircraft, missiles, single-stage reusable vehicles, positron rockets and a crewed Mars mission, along with how positrons could be produced and stored. It concludes that a first positron-powered flight around the globe could be possible within 10 years.
“Masse”17 pages
UNCLASSIFIED/ ,'F&II. lilFFll!l*L 1!1!11! l!IIU:!Y the order of 30 minutes, indicating that a spacecraft employing three 72-kN solid-core engines would require 6-9 mg of positrons per mission. Solid-core fission and positron systems are compared in Table 4. 13 Table 4. Comparison of Space Propulsion and Power Systems - Solid Core FIssIon-Based Positron Powered Technology • NERVA1Rover • Conceptual demonstrated • Must demonstrate • Never flight tested positron storage and controlled inJectIon • Near-term technology demonstration for positron storage needed Performance • 1,0 "' 950 sec • l,p - as in fission systems • Thrust"' 72 - 123 kN • Thrust -variable. similar to • Power"- 367- 5320 MW fission systems (matched to thrust) • Power - matched to thrust • Lifetime"" 2 hours total • Lifetime - set by material operation considerations Operation • Design dictated by • No cntIcalIty. burn up or neutronics. fuel burn up poison accumulation and fission poisoning issues • High neutron & gamma • Design based only upon radiation during operation heat transfer and gamma • Requires active. accurate attenuation issues and massive control • Does not require • Requires shutdown shutdown cooling cooling to remove heat • Simple on·off control. from nuclear waste power controlled by rate of • RadIatIon after shutdown posItrori utilIzatIon due to fission products • Not a radiation source Materials • l'v1aterial dictated by • l\'1atenal choices dictated neutronIcs by temperature • Propellant-heated H: • Propellant-heated He • Working fluids for power • Working fluids for power systems - inert gas systems - mert gas • Uranium in graphite media • Corrosion issues require complex fuel Payload • Requires massive shield • Shield required around Integration from reactor manned area separated • Requires separation from from positron storage reactor • Propulsion and power • Complex design issues sources can be integrated due to neutron scattering into vehicle Post Operation • Not able to return to earth • Able to return to Earth or or inhabited surface inhabited surface • Not reusable or refuelable • Reusable and refuelable UNCLASSIFIED/ /F81it 8FFIIIAI!: 1!181! &••1::Y
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 35 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.