NASA: s new VASIMR engine takes spacecraft to Mars in 6 weeks.

A VASIMR (Variable Specific Impulse Magneto plasma Rocket) gives spacecraft travel ten times faster than a regular chemical rocket. That plasma-impulse engine is one of the most promising things for creating new and powerful rockets for interplanetary flight. The plasma ion engine can also give new kinds of abilities for the new type of spacecraft that are operating in the asteroid belt. 

There is the possibility that air-breathing ion engines are the future of aviation. The problem is that there is needed a system. That puts the ion engine push against the front wall of the engine. One of the solutions is to shoot laser rays in the middle of the ion track. That causes that part of the ions are jumping to the front of the engine. 

Another vision is that the ionized gas will put to travel in a screw-looking structure. That kind of ion system can use with regular jet engines as the electromagnetic afterburner. Or it can use things like electric cells or nuclear reactors as power sources. In some visions, the power satellites can pump energy to those air-breathing ion engines in the form of maser rays. That allows researchers to create the ion scramjets that are the most capable systems in the world. 

The same ion thruster that is making aircraft or space shuttle fly can use to protect that thing against missiles. The ion system can turn against incoming missiles, and then the radar system can load opposite polar electric power to incoming missiles. That makes those ions will impact the missile and damage its microchips. Another thing is that ions are forming a layer that the radio waves cannot pierce. 

The "VASIMR" system can also use in Earth-orbiting satellites. That must change their trajectories all the time. The thing is that the plasma-ion engine can also be used as an ion cannon. The plasma beam can target hostile satellites or incoming ASAT missiles. The plasma system can also use to deny communication between satellites and ground stations. And the ion satellite can poison the orbiter by using high-energy ions. 

If those ions (or anions) have the same polarity the magnetic field with the same electric polarity can push those ions or anions away from the satellite. But if that thing is not in use that ion cloud can damage the satellite. And the ion field denies the use of radio waves as the communication tool between satellites and ground stations. In that case, the satellite must use laser communication systems. Radio waves cannot travel through the plasma or ion cloud. 

https://www.eoportal.org/other-space-activities/vasimr

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/World-first_firing_of_air-breathing_electric_thruster

https://phys.org/news/2022-11-air-breathing-ion-boost-spacecraft-atmosphere.html

https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/uutiset/kuudessa-viikossa-marsiin-tallainen-on-nasan-kehittama-plasmamoottori/e2a291d1-f189-4f2e-90cf-c061ccbc93a3

https://designandinnovationtales.blogspot.com/

TAV (Transatmospheric Vehicle) and its use in space force

When we are thinking about the space flight, the normal turbine jet can rise to the LEO (Low Earth Orbiter) or ballistic flight trajectory, if that plane has the capacity to rise straight upwards, and the inlets of the jet engine must be closed by hatches. Then in the turbine must be injected oxygen and the aircraft would rise outside of Earth atmosphere. The question is that: could the motor has enough power to push the aircraft through the loose air, where the wings cannot hold up the aircraft. So by using this technology, the normal looking jet fighter can make at least the ballistic jump outside the atmosphere, and then return to the ground.

The thing, in that case, is that when the aircraft returns, the speed of it would rise at a very high level, what makes difficult to create the heat shield for that plane. But the extensive speed would give the ammunition, what is launched from those aircraft extreme high muzzle velocity. That would melt the ammunition, and if it hits to something, it will melt even the large target immediately.

This kind of aircraft would be useful in the missions, which are meant for HCM (Hypersonic Cruise Missile).  But TAV has more capacity to operate. The speed of the landing aircraft will be enormous if it will compile with the speed of normal aircraft, and then if it would use normal cannons or rockets, the speed of ammunition would rise in the speed of Mach 10-20. The speed of the ammunition loads the projectile very high impact energy and the energy is transforming heat.

That would make famous GAU-8 "Avenger" cannon seem like legume tube. The laws of physics are simple, the movement of the aircraft will accelerate the ammunition with the same level, how the aircraft moves in the air. If the cannon round hits the target with the speed of Mach 15, that will make the heat, what will melt even the big size target. And it can cause bad damages or even sink the target what has the size of aircraft carriers. That kind of systems might be installed in the next generation aircraft, but the F-15 can push itself upwards by using the thrust of the motors.