Deuterium microbomb rocket propulsion

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel deuterium fusion bomb propulsion system for fast, large payload space travel and a method for cost-effective payload launch into Earth's orbit using laser ignition and explosive-driven lasers.

Contribution

It introduces a new fusion-based propulsion concept and a laser ignition method that integrates with the spacecraft's environment for efficient space travel and launch.

Findings

Conceptual design of deuterium fusion bomb propulsion.

Laser ignition method using high explosives and argon ion lasers.

Potential for high-speed, large payload space missions.

Abstract

Large scale manned space flight within the solar system is still confronted with the solution of two problems: 1. A propulsion system to transport large payloads with short transit times between different planetary orbits. 2. A cost effective lifting of large payloads into earth orbit. For the solution of the first problem a deuterium fusion bomb propulsion system is proposed where a thermonuclear detonation wave is ignited in a small cylindrical assembly of deuterium with a gigavolt-multimegampere proton beam, drawn from the magnetically insulated spacecraft acting in the ultrahigh vacuum of space as a gigavolt capacitor. For the solution of the second problem, the ignition is done by argon ion lasers driven by high explosives, with the lasers destroyed in the fusion explosion and becoming part of the exhaust.