Posted by tourdemars to Technology at July 15, 2004 04:11 PM

With their main objective to develop a rocket for a manned mission to Mars, UH Professor Edgar Bering and his student, Michael Brukardt, were among the authors of an award-winning technical paper recognized at a recent conference in Portland, Oregon. The paper presents results of research in which Bering and Brukardt are participating at NASA Johnson Space Center surrounding the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), which is a prototype spacecraft electric propulsion system intended for large high-power missions to Mars and beyond. While the main goal for VASIMR is for manned Mars missions, it also can be used for big robotic missions and be put to civilian use in commercial passenger spacecraft.