Since nuclear fusion was discovered, it has become something of a holy grail in the search for efficient and clean energy sources. While the technology remains in a developmental phase, scientists are looking for a revolutionary application - fusion drives for spacecraft.
Direct fusion drive (DFD), a concept rocket that is powered by low radioactivity nuclear fusion processes, both for propulsion and for providing the energy needed by the craft to function. Its mechanism follows the Princeton field-reversed configuration reactor (PFRC) - an experimental program that evaluates a potential fusion reactor setup - invented by Dr. Samuel Cohen in 2002. By 2018, the team developing the PFRC has begun development of its second iteration - the PFRC-2.
The team of engineers and scientists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory are looking to develop a prototype equipped with the PFRC-2 as its primary drive.
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