Technology Maturation of the VASIMR Electric Propulsion System

The proposed innovations seek to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of the VASIMR electric propulsion system from TRL 4-5 to TRL 5-6, along three key technologies: RF power generation and transmission, thermal management and structural integrity, and high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) magnets. The two-year level of effort includes design, build, and test for the RF, thermal and structural elements on the TRL-4-5 VX-200SS VASIMR laboratory prototype. The work plan, which includes sufficient margin for addressing contingencies, will validate these elements, in an integrated fashion, in a relevant vacuum environment, and aims to retire risk as the system matures. The work also includes a critical design effort for an advanced high temperature superconducting (HTSC) magnet subsystem, slated to replace the current low temperature superconducting (LTSC) version, improving performance and reducing mass. The maturation of the VASIMR Electric Propulsion Subsystem (EPS) is a natural progression from the completion of SBIR Phase II Contract, 80NSSC23CA059, “Improved Thermomechanical Design of the VASIMR RF Coupler”, expected in March of 2025. The proposed work is relevant to the evolving market of high-power electric propulsion applications in cislunar space and for deep space. The VASIMR technology supports the Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) technology challenge, addressing four of the five Critical Technology Elements (CTEs) specified in the solicitation. While the direct focus is on the Electric Propulsion Subsystem (CTE4). The maturation of the VASIMR radio frequency (RF) power subsystem may also relax constraints and provide flexibility for the NEP Power Conversion Subsystem (PCS) and the Power Management & Distribution Subsystem (PMAD) per CTE2 and CTE3. In addition, the high-temperature heat rejection architecture envisioned for the VASIMR rocket core may also be applicable to CTE5, the NEP Primary Heat Rejection Subsystem (PHRS).