want some light Elon Musk will definitely get you covered he used SpaceX the rocket firm he
created and his micro blogging site Twitter to Showcase some breathtaking video musk added one
hell of a plasma beam over a video showing a rocket scorching everything out of a water
cooled steel plate with this new rocket engine it will get us to Mars in just 40 days how is this
possible let's find out in today's episode hello everyone welcome back to Elon Musk Evolution where
we bring you the most recent news about Elon Musk and his multi-billion dollar companies space news
and the latest science and technology but before we begin make sure you subscribe to our Channel
and click the Bell icon so you don't miss any of our amazing videos the world's most powerful
rocket Starship underwent its first ever test orbital flight last month thanks to the space
company however musk's fantasy was cut short by an explosion he recently provided an update that
included fresh more accurate information these new factors imply that the August time frame for
the subsequent attempt may be possible meanwhile SpaceX is not stopping from innovating recently
it successfully tested a new rocket engine that theoretically will reach Mars in just 40 days
smoking as Jim Carrey's character in the 1994 film The Mask would say in response to that
someone wrote I wouldn't want to be in front of that one person replied the advantage is you
wouldn't be standing there for very long reading another tweet it said witnessing the raw power
of a plasma beam test we get one step closer to the stars with every successful firing he
says the founder of SpaceX explains that a rocket engine is a container that holds high pressure gas
when you open a hole at one end the gas squirts out and the rocket goes in the opposite direction
the hotter the stuff in the canister the faster it escapes and the faster the rocket goes but if it's
too hot it melts the canister what then do you do to combat that the magnetic field serves as
the canister and there is no limit to how hot you can create the plasma when gas reaches Beyond 10
000 degrees it turns to plasma and electrically charged soup of particles and these particles may
be held together by a magnetic field musk mentions the Apollo Astronauts whose maximum speed on their
missions to the moon was around 7 miles per second in order to illustrate the additional
speed required to reach Mars in 39 days remember that you are only accelerating for the first part
of the trip on the second link you are slowing down in order to arrive at Mars but not pass it
advises musk the greatest speed with relation to the sun would be around 32 miles per hour however
that necessitates the use of nuclear power source to heat the plasma to the appropriate temperature
naturally the plasma engine is hotly debated for this reason people are afraid of nuclear
power Chernobyl Three Mile Island and Fukushima it is a little misunderstood but if humans are
truly going to explore a space we eventually will have to come to grips with the concept
a second concern raised by musk is the possibility of radioactive debris returning to the Earth's
atmosphere if Rockets carrying nuclear materials fail and let's find out how plasma rockets work
people used to Simply gaze up at the stars in awe but in the last 50 years they've moved beyond that
to spend months at a time living among them on the International Space Station however despite
the fact that people have walked on the moon only robots and unmanned aircraft have been able to
land anywhere else Mars is a destination that people are particularly interested in visiting
aside from the real difficulties of landing and surviving on the Hostile red planet there's also
the major challenge of getting there Mars and Earth are separated by around 140 million miles
it is still some 35 million miles distant from our planet even when it is at its closest it would
take at least seven months to reach there using the standard chemical rockets that send us into
space which is not exactly a short period of time is there any way we could do it faster let's check
the plasma rocket scientists and Engineers have started to depend on plasma Rockets which have the
potential to take mankind to the far reaches of space without the use of conventional rocket fuel
the atoms and molecules of a propellant gas are broken down into a collection of particles with
either a positive charge ions or a negative charge electrons in this type of Rocket by the use of an
electric and magnetic field combination simply put the gas used as a propellant changes into plasma
in many of these engines Arrangements the ions are subsequently ejected out the back of the engine
using an electric field giving the spacecraft propulsion in the opposite direction a spacecraft
might hypothetically travel at 123 000 miles per hour if this technology were to be perfected you
could get from New York to Los Angeles in just one minute if you move that fast the fourth state
of matter is plasma the three states of matter that make up the universe are solid liquid and
gas matter becomes solid when it gets cold it transforms into a liquid when it warms up
a gas is produced when more heat is added but the story doesn't end there plasma is produced as you
increase the heat Source the additional heat and energy split the neutral atoms and molecules in
the gas into normally positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons due to the Intriguing
conductivity qualities that the charged particles offer plasma plasma Technologies employed to
create a wide range of everyday objects plasma technology is used to produce everything from neon
signs to computer chips to the metallic lining of a bag of potato chips then there is of course the
plasma television which projects color pixels on your screen by releasing light photons from
plasma actually plasma is the state in which 99 percent of the universe's ordinary matter is found
our son is one of the vast majority of plasma-based stars why is it so rare
on Earth if it is so common in the cosmos we do in fact solar winds are the source of the
northern and southern lights what precisely are solar winds plasma okay so not everyone has the
Good Fortune to witness these breathtaking light shows however you can witness Plasma in action
during another magnificent light display offered by Nature a rainstorm the energy that Lightnings
electricity imparts to the molecules in its root is so great that the gases in the lightning Trail
actually turn into plasma as it travels through the atmosphere the most promising technology for
taking humans to areas we could previously only dream of is plasma which has also been employed
in Rockets to help us travel through space we can actually utilize these rockets for liftoff from
the earth since the density of the air close to the surface of the planet slows down the
acceleration of the ions in the plasma necessary to produce thrust therefore these Rockets must be
in the vacuum of space in order to function on the other hand several of these plasma engines
have been using space since 1971. in addition to being the primary means of propulsion into deep
space NASA often utilizes them for maintenance on satellites and the International Space Station
types of plasma Rockets the basic operating principle of all plasma Rockets is the same
electric and magnetic fields work together to turn a gas usually Xenon or Krypton into plasma the
Plasma's ions are then propelled out of the engine at speeds of over 45 000 miles per hour producing
thrust in the direction of travel this formula can be used in numerous ways to produce a functional
plasma rocket but three approaches stand out as the best and most feasible Hull thrusters
one of the two categories of plasma engines currently in frequent usage in space are Hull
thrusters within the Chamber of this apparatus perpendicular electric and magnetic fields are
arranged electrons start to move in circles at a Breakneck speed when electricity is applied
to these competing Fields high-speed electrons knock electrons off the gaseous propellant atoms
as the gas is injected into the device forming a plasma of the free electrons carrying negative
charges and the propellant atoms now positively charged ions which are now negatively charged
the thrust required to move the rocket forward is produced by these ions as they are fired out of
the engine's rear although the two ionization and ion acceleration processes take place in
stages they do so in the same area of the engine Hall thrusters can move very quickly because they
can provide a lot of thrust for the input power they utilize however their fuel efficiency is
constrained gridded ion engines graded ion engines are used by NASA instead of other engines when it
needs an engine that is more fuel efficient the engine Chambers walls in this frequently used
device are lined with electric and magnetic fields high energy electrons fluctuate in and around the
magnetic fields close to the walls when electrical power is provided the electrons have the ability
to ionize the propellant gas into a plasma much like the hull thruster electric grids are
positioned at the end of the chamber to speed the ions out in order to perform the subsequent phase
of creating thrust ionization and acceleration take place in two separate locations in this
engine although the gridded ion engine uses less fuel than a haul Thruster the drawback is that it
cannot produce as much thrust per unit of surface area scientists and aerospace engineers select the
best engine for the mission based on the sort of task at hand vassimir variable specific impulse
magnetoplasma rocket also known as vassimir is the third and final type of engine through the
use of radio waves produced by an antenna the ions are produced in this device to make the plasma the
ions are made to spin very quickly by the addition of energy from a second antenna located further
Downstream in order to expel the ions from the engine in a straight line and produce thrust a
magnetic field provides directionality the hull Thruster and the ion gridded engine are unable
to produce such a wide throttle range as this rocket if it is successful how does vassimir work
vassimir employs a gas like argon or Xenon similar to an ion Thruster but it can also use hydrogen in
order for it to function a propellant is injected into a tube that is encircled by magnets and two
radio wave antennas the gas is ionized by the first RF antenna which then transforms it into the
plasma needed for propulsion this area is known as the Helicon section because of the antenna's
design which enables helical waves to pass through the gas and ionize it into the cold plasma
the magnetic fields generated by the magnets along the tube interact with the cold plasma which is
actually at a temperature of around 5500k about the same as the surface temperature of the Sun
ions orbiting around each line of the magnetic field giving them an orbital
momentum perpendicular to the Rocket's direction of flight can be seen as the
lines that run through the rocket the plasma is heated to extremely high temperatures on the
order of 1 million degrees Kelvin by the second RF antenna known as the ion cyclotron heating section
in order for this section to function radio waves must be generated these radio waves must then be
directed at resonances along the orbits of ions and electrons where they accelerate and get hotter
after completing this the plasma is prepared to be discharged from the nozzle to generate
thrust while the Rockets are moving the ions are orbiting in a different direction magnetron nozzle
of vassimir generates a magnetic field and as the field lines widen the ions spiral Roots lengthen
resulting in extremely high exhaust velocities of around 50 kilometers per second the vasmir engine
stands out due to three key characteristics all of which make use of the engine highly desirable
one of the engine's most alluring features as previously mentioned is its ability to optimally
adjust its thrust and particular impulse exhaust parameters to suit a wide range of mission needs
by doing so the maximum payload for a given fuel load can be delivered while also shortening the
flight duration the plasma is generated and energized by RF waves which is the second
distinguishing property this process enables the vasmir system to operate with no electrodes made
of a substance that could physically come into touch with the plasma because of this erosion has
been greatly reduced resulting in a substantially longer lifespan and improved reliability
furthermore compared to other electric Thruster designs this permits a far higher power density
the ability of vasomir to process enormous amounts of power which results in a bigger quantity of
thrust created is the final distinctive attribute which draws on the second larger payloads can be
efficiently delivered to low earth orbit the Moon and even distant planets in the Solar System since
it can generate more thrust sources of power there must be a power supply for each electric
propulsion system not just for vassimir but for other electric propulsion systems as well this
is one of the main issues because vassimir is a powerful Thruster it needs to be able to generate
a lot of electricity in space there are basically just two options solar power and nuclear power
notwithstanding the fast advancement of modern technology solar power for close to Earth missions
like boosting the ISS and delivering supplies to a lunar Outpost solar power combined with
vassimir can be quite effective solar power is not extremely reliable but n-tech solar Inc and
NASA's Glenn Research Center have collaborated to create a solar concentrator that is both
incredibly light and highly effective using a thin film lens the stretched lens array concentrates
a great amount of sunlight into a small area of photovoltaic cells likewise to lessen the waste
heat generated a thin film of thermally conductive material is used underneath the cells according
to reports this kind of array May operate at 30 percent efficiency with a space efficient design
PV material will be reduced by around 90 percent because the sunlight is concentrated on a tiny
region of PV cells which causes a cost per watt to be decreased the vasomere project is extremely
interested in employing it as a power source because of these qualities and the necessity to
minimize mass in space applications once more this might be restricted to close to Earth missions
nuclear power nuclear reactors are a fantastic source of energy however NASA and other companies
have been reluctant to use them due to fears that a nuclear reactor Mission could go wrong
the capabilities are there all that needs to be decided is whether the risks are worthwhile
for NASA and others the risks are not yet worthwhile the mass of the reactors remains a
limiting factor and needs to be reduced in order to be able to power something with a power need
of vasmir even if nuclear power is undoubtedly feasible in modern rockets Journey to Mars while
conventional Rockets are amazing and have helped Humanity travel far they are not without drawbacks
these Rockets likewise operate on the principle of thrust fuel combustion creates a high pressure gas
that is driven out of the rocket nozzle at high velocity and propels the rocket in the opposite
direction but Rocket Fuel is both incredibly heavy and quite ineffective it is unable to
supply enough electricity to move quickly after the rocket fuel is used up in the effort to
launch the spacecraft into orbit it is essentially left with little Choice except to Coast however a
plasma rocket requires 100 million times less fuel than these traditional engines which is a
significant difference with just approximately 30 gallons of gas it is so fuel efficient that
it is possible to go from the Earth's orbit to the moon's orbit in 23 days plasma Rockets May travel
at a maximum speed of 34 miles per second which is four times faster than any chemical rocket plasma
Rockets are accelerate gradually the chance of the spacecraft encountering mechanical breakdowns and
the astronauts being exposed to solar radiation bone loss and muscle atrophy decreases as the
distance traveled increases since propulsion will theoretically be accessible throughout the whole
journey of vasmir it is theoretically conceivable to change course at any time to be honest it is
still a long way off before humans will be able to fly to Mars in a short period of time you'll
need a lot of electricity to travel these kinds of great distances about five kilowatts is the
typical operating power for gridded ION engines and Hull thrusters you would require at least 200
times that amount of power to reach Mars in around 40 days the incorporation of nuclear power sources
into the engine is the most practical way to create this quantity of electricity while in space
to install a nuclear power source on a rocket ship that we launch into space at this moment but it
presents an excessive risk of radiation exposure in the event of a disaster as a result finding a
power source that can travel those distances is still a difficult task not to mention the
ambiguity of how the human body will respond to moving at a speed of 34 miles per second
as opposed to the 4.7 miles per second astronauts travel to reach lower Earth orbit in traditional
Rockets however in theory these engines are capable of traveling to Mars in approximately
40 days if given adequate power a task that was Unthinkable just 50 years ago nowadays
the greatest systems for completing missions and exploring our solar system are the ones that are
at the core of rocketry chemical Rockets won't be replaced anytime soon but plasma and ion thrusters
are being employed more and more for missions without strict time constraints such as deep
space exploration and maintaining satellite orbits the effectiveness power and adaptability of these
thrusters will only increase as research advances many supporters of human exploration are ecstatic
about the possibility that vassimir may live up to its promises but Skeptics still have their doubts
vassimir might be the game-changing Innovation that the manned space program needs to restart or
it might just be another plasma propulsion system on the market that fall short of expectations new
technologies will undoubtedly be developed as we continue our investigation of the solar system
and they may completely alter how exploration is carried out having said that what do you think
of plasma Rockets let us know your thoughts in the comment box below please subscribe and don't
forget to like today's video we'll see you in the next video thanks for watching thanks for watching