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Defense Intelligence Reference Document Positron Aerospace Propulsion

Defense Intelligence Agency · 35 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

  • p. 3 …Positron Mass .................................................................. 5 Figure 7. LOCAAS Turbojet Engine ......................................................................... 6 iii UNCLASSIFIED//F81it 8FFIIIAI!: 1!181! &••1…
  • p. 4 …Total Positron Requirement for SSRV With a Dry Mass of 60,500 kg ....... 10 Table 4…
  • p. 6 …Hence, when Ps self-annihilates, there is 100 percent conversion of mass into electromagnetic energy given…
  • p. 7 …5 At sea level for a fuel-air mass ratio of 0.068, it is 500…
  • p. 10 …1.00 Positron Mass (mg) ./V 1.50 Figure 6. UAV Range Versus Positron Mass (courtesy…
  • p. 12 …nonstop flights are possible. • Increase in structural mass allows more electronics/passenger amenities. RAMJET-ASSISTED MISSILE…
  • p. 13 …Improving payload mass requires reducing propellant and structural mass, both of which can be accomplished using…
  • p. 14 …GLOW for Chemical SSRV21 Vehicle Component Structure Thermal Protection Propulsion (4 engines) Electronics TOTAL DRY MASS…
  • p. 15 …24 The positron mass budget for a 60,500-kg dry mass for ascension to LEO…
  • p. 17 …First, a reduction in the engine mass for a given thrust is realized; second, there is…
  • p. 19 …lead-cartridge concepts show promise if the mass flow rate of the hydrogen propellant exceeds that…
  • p. 20 …flow-through system with LH2 at higher mass flow rates than LXe; and (d) One-fluid…
  • p. 21 …A separate Brayton-cycle positron energy conversion system provides power to the pellet mass driver and…
  • p. 22 …Comparison of Three Positron Propulsion Concepts for Mars Mission lsp Thrust e+ mass Special Notes Solid…
  • p. 24 …On board propellant requires an overall interplanetary system mass that prohibits use of any type of…
  • p. 25 …This gives significant mass savings or an equivalent reduction in Mars-to-Earth return time for…
  • p. 26 …Mars reference mission 53 , 54 considered payload masses of 60,000 kg for 2015 missions. This…
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Figure 8. BOMARC and Talos Ramjet-Assisted Missiles ........................................... 8
Figure 9. Positron SSRV Flight Profile .................................................................. 10
Figure 10. Artist's Rendition of a Four-Engine Positron SSRV ............................... 11
Figure 11. Solid-Core Positron Rocket Engine With a Hot-Bleed Configuration ..... 12
Figure 12. Fluid Systems ...................................................................................... 15
Figure 13. Modified Sanger Photon Rocket Concept ............................................. 17
Figure 14. Closed Brayton Cycle Using Positron Annihilation ............................... 18
Figure 15. Conceptual 110 Watt Positron Closed Cycle Generator Based on the
NASA Glenn Research Center Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) .. 18
Figure 16. Mars Trajectories (X-Coordinates Defined in Direction of Aries) ......... 20
Figure 17. Spacecrafts Using Positron Engines ..................................................... 21
Figure 18. Proposed Undulator-Based Positron Source for the International
Linear Collider ..................................................................................... 22
Figure 19. Penning Trap ....................................................................................... 24
Figure 20. A Positron Forms Ps ............................................................................ 25
Figure 21. Computer Simulation of Ps Atoms ....................................................... 26
Figure 22. TEM of Silica Aerogel ........................................................................... 26
Tables
Table 1. GLOW for Chemical SSRV .......................................................................... 9
Table 2. GLOW for Positron SSRV ........................................................................... 9
Table 3. Total Positron Requirement for SSRV With a Dry Mass of 60,500 kg ....... 10
Table 4. Comparison of Space Propulsion and Power Systems - Solid Core ......... 13
Table 5. Comparison of Three Positron Propulsion Concepts for Mars Mission ..... 17
Table 6. Positron and Anti proton Expected Costs in the Next 10 Years ................ 23
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