NEWS
The 2024 International Space Development Conference
May 2024
The National Space Society (NSS) held the 2024 International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles, California from Thursday May 23 through Sunday May 26. Corvette Research representing the University of Maryland attended in order to better understand future Cislunar economy which is a predicate for Direct Fusion Drive commercial viability. Attendance included strong representation from the space policy, entrepreneurial, and investment communities. Many attendees were simply space enthusiasts. Conference tracks included Space Law and Policy, Planetary Defense, Interplanetary Infrastructure, Space Solar Power, Space Health, Space Elevators, and Space Settlement. There were also panel discussions on finance and investment in space, during which one panelist noted that “Building spacecraft is easy. Raising capital is hard.” Technical sessions addressed planetary science, space health, and exploitation of space for research. Actor William Shatner attended the conference dinner Friday night to receive the Heinlein Prize. There was a parallel conference for international students whose entries in space settlement design competitions were presented at a poster session and as parts of several technical sessions.
Painting image used with permission of the artist, Byran Versteeg.
Limitless Space Institute – Final Presentations for the 2022 Grant Cohort
April 2024
The Limitless Space Institute streamed the final presentations for its 2022 grant cohort on April 25, 2024. Researchers presented on diverse approaches to “go incredibly fast.” Among the research presented was the University of Luxembourg’s work on Extremely Lightweight Solar Sails and work by the University of Bergamo, Italy on Traversable Wormholes and Warp Drive. UnLab of the US and Technion associated with the Israel Institute of Technology presented on their Asymmetric Potential Vacuum Force Experiment. Overall, nine organizations presented on results developed under LSI’s grants. Corvette Research in collaboration with the University of Maryland presented work on Direct Fusion Drive based on Centrifugal Mirror Confinement, including performance analysis of D-He3 fueled systems and preliminary design for a 1MW jet power engine.
The full webinar can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/@limitlessspaceinstitute/streams.
Conceptual Design and Layout for 1 MW Jet Power DFD-CM
Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) Readies for Experimental Campaign
April 2024
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), in collaboration with the University of Maryland (UMD) Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP), has constructed a follow-on to MCX with funding from ARPA-E, the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX). CMFX goals include: 1) T>0.5 keV ; and 2) a triple product of nT*tau>10e17 with H-H and D-D plasmas. CMFX is currently conducting preliminary experiments with hydrogen and deuterium. In preparation for the main experimental campaign in 2024, the team is building and testing diagnostics, including a neutron detector, diamagnetic loops, ion Doppler spectroscopy (IDS), and Thomson scattering for electron number density and temperature measurements. In November, the CMFX team presented its progress on development of the diagnostics at the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Physics Society Division on Plasma Physics.
Photo courtesy of Professor Carlos Romero-Talamas, UMBC
Fusion Industry Association Policy Conference
March 2024
The 2024 Fusion Industry Association Policy Conference was held 20-21 March 2024 at Union Station, Washington, DC. Over 300 attendees participated, from government, industry, regulations, investment, and academia. The agenda consisted of panel discussions on topics such as private investment, public-private partnerships, challenges to commercialization, and end users. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk spoke on current DOE policy promoting fusion energy, including its emphasis on public-private partnerships. The Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Christopher Hanson discussed the evolving regulatory model for fusion energy. Representatives Zoe Logren, Chuck Fleischmann, and Lori Trahan spoke. Their talks described bipartisan support for fusion energy advancement. Each noted in particular this year’s $790 appropriation for fusion research.
Photo used with permission from the Fusion Industry Association
UMD Space Power and Propulsion Laboratory Hosts NASA Early Stage Innovation Seminar
October 2023
Representatives from NASA visited UMD to participate in the Early Stage Innovation Seminar presented by SPPL. The Seminar was organized by Dr. Ray Sedwick, SPPL’s director and the principal investigator of the three-year grant. Awarded to UMD in 2022, the grant funds SPPL to advance development of fusion plasma direct energy conversion processes for thrust and electric power generation. The purpose of the Seminar was to share SPPL’s progress with the NASA program manager and space power and propulsion technologists. Presentations by SPPL team members covered topics on Plasma Transport, Cryogenic Thermal Control, Charged particle power conversion, Bremsstrahlung power conversion, and neutron power conversion. Additionally, the NASA guests were given a tour of the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) laboratory by its principal investigator, Dr. Carlos Romero-Talamás.
The 8th Interstellar Research Group Symposium
July 2023
The Interstellar Research Group (IRG) held the 8th Interstellar Symposium July 10-14 at McGill University in Montreal. The theme of this year’s symposium was “In the Light of Other Suns,” and participants came from around the globe to share a range of compelling ideas on interstellar flight. Topics of presentations and panel discussions included light sails and directed energy, exobiology, safeguarding earth’s cultural heritage in space, human hibernation for long duration flights, and the Fermi Paradox. Members of the 2022 class of Limitless Space Institute grants presented on topics such as traversable wormholes and extreme aspect ratio metamaterials for light sails. UMD’s Space Power and Propulsion Laboratory presented on thermionic power conversion with Pb11 based fusion and direct fusion drive based on centrifugal mirror confinement. Our McGill hosts gave an informative and enjoyable talk on the history of Dr. Gerald Bull, the Canadian engineer and McGill faculty member who worked to develop affordable satellite launch using large guns. McGill students helped keep the symposium moving along and gave tours of the University laboratories which include a laser thermal rocket test bench, and shock tube for light-sail dynamics. (Many of the students attended the science fiction author panel discussion on Tuesday evening where they peppered the panel with insightful and thoughtful questions, notably on trends in dystopian science fiction.)
Photo used with permission of the Interstellar Research Group and McGill University
