Antiproton triggered fusion propulsion for interstellar missions

Interstellar precursor missions have been the subject of recent investigations. Current proposals include a thousand and a ten thousand astronomical unit mission, both to be completed in fifty years. These interstellar precursor missions provide a means to develop payload, communication, guidance and propulsion systems that could ultimately send payloads to the stars. The one thousand astronomical unit mission could be completed by improvements in nuclear electric systems, but the ten thousand astronomical unit mission is considerably more difficult. Antiproton triggered fusion propulsion systems provide a means to develop fusion propulsion in the near term. These systems rely on antiprotons to fission a subcritical mass of uranium or plutonium. The energy released in the fission reaction is then used to trigger fusion in a pellet. A 1000 astronomical unit mission can be completed in 50 years with a mass ratio of 1.06, while for a 10,000 astronomical unit mission the ratio is 1.87. A flyby of the nearest star, at 270,000 astronomical units, requires a mass ratio of at least 64. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87460/2/1333_1.pd