NSS Space Forum July 14: Fast Solar Wind Sailing

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The National Space Society invites you to the next Space Forum

Thursday, July 14, 2022, 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm EDT

Technology Demonstrator Mission for Fast Solar Wind Sailing

With Special Guest Jeff Greason

Since we are using the Huntsville Chapter account, no reservation is required. Simply click the link Thursday at 8:00 PM EDT and enter the passcode (073789).

Greason

This week NSS joins the HAL5 Huntsville chapter’s monthly meeting as they welcome NSS Governor Jeff Greason who will speak on the use of solar wind for propulsion and explain the history and operating principles of this technology.

Awareness of the use of the solar wind for propulsion purposes is beginning to grow in the technical community. A technology developed under NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) sponsorship, the Plasma Magnet, offers a path to high-acceleration maneuvers in the solar wind, including fast transits to outer planets and to the Solar Gravitational Lens. Jeff Greason will explain the history and operating principles of this technology. The AIAA Nuclear and Future Flight Propulsion Technical Committee has sponsored a conceptual design study of a demonstrator mission, JOVE. If flown, JOVE would provide the critical flight demonstration of this technology. The solar-powered spacecraft would weigh approximately 25 kilograms and would get to Jupiter in three weeks reaching an astounding 300 kilometers per second.  Mr. Greason will go over the key design challenges uncovered during the conceptual design, review the current state, and discuss possible next steps.

Jeff Greason is an entrepreneur and innovator with 25 years of experience in the commercial space industry. He is the Chief Technologist of Electric Sky, developing long-range wireless power for propulsion and other purposes; and Chairman of the Tau Zero Foundation, developing advanced propulsion technologies for solar system and interstellar missions. He has been active in the development of commercial space regulation and served on the Presidential Augustine Commission in 2009. Jeff was a co-founder of XCOR Aerospace and served as CEO from 1999 to early 2015. Previously, he was the rocket engine team lead at Rotary Rocket and an engineering manager in chip technology development at Intel. He holds 28 U.S. patents and has recently published papers on novel space propulsion concepts. He is also a Governor of the National Space Society.

Since we are using the Huntsville Chapter account, no reservation is required. Simply click the link Thursday at 8:00 PM EDT and enter the passcode (073789).

Past NSS Space Forums and Town Halls may be viewed here.

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