DIDCOT, U.K. - The most abundant metal known to man is iron. It's everywhere. Not just on Earth, but in space as well. Astro engineers have just figured out how to use iron – or nearly any metal for that matter – as plasma rocket fuel. We already know that some metals can be violently flammable. Lithium reacts with water and burns quite intensely. Magnesium and titanium are common in fireworks for their intense flames and sparks. Aluminum, which makes up about 8% of the metals found in the Earth's crust is already used in solid rocket propellants, Joe Salas writes for New Atlas. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
8 October 2024 - Magdrive's astronautical engineers have developed the "Super Magdrive," a plasma thruster capable of using nearly any metal as fuel. This allows spacecraft to harvest metals from comets, asteroids, or moons for refueling, eliminating the need to return to Earth. The system uses solar panels to charge capacitors, which discharge over 1,000 volts to ionize metal, creating plasma "bullets" that are directed by magnetic fields to produce thrust.
The Super Magdrive reportedly generates 10 times more thrust than similar electric propulsion systems, though exact figures are unconfirmed. The University of Southampton is helping to validate its capabilities.
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Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
