NASA engineer proposes new type of fusion thruster for space travel
Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 10:30
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- John J. Chapman, a physicist working for NASA has presented an idea for a new type of fusion thruster for possible use by space traveling vehicles at the IEEE Symposium going on in Chicago this week. In the presentation, as explained on IEEE Spectrum, Chapman suggests that boron be used as an aneutronic fuel source, stating that doing so makes the energetic particles easier to deal with than traditional materials.