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From: dietz@SLB-DOLL.CSNET (Paul Dietz)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Fusion reactors in space
Message-ID: <8603101545.AA00739@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 09:14:42 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8603101545.AA00739
Posted: Mon Mar 10 09:14:42 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Mar-86 05:40:46 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Uses for fusion reactors in space seem limited.  Both fusion and solar
power plants are essentially machines for converting capital into energy
(fuel cost is low); solar-thermal collectors can be simple and
lightweight (and therefore cheap) and don't become radioactive.

Inertial fusion reactors might make good rockets.  Magnetic fusion
reactors won't make good rockets; although they have good Isp their
power/mass ratio is limited by the need to radiate waste heat
deposited in the reactor structure.  In inertial confinement fusion
rockets the exploding pellet debris will carry away much of the heat,
and the reaction chamber can be designed to let most of the neutrons
escape to space.