Gasdynamic Mirror Fusion Ship

A gasdynamic mirror fusion passenger ship loiters in orbit of Tethys, circa 2085.

Been a hot minute, but this is a render I was really proud of. Inspired by the original 2001 NASA study into gasdynamic mirror fusion, and using textures provided by NASA for both Tethys and the skybox, this render really stands apart. The basic concept is that fusion plasma is fired down a long tube to produce thrust, avoiding the need for complicated containment methods. The standout feature of this engine type is, of course, the long tube, but also the massive radiator field to dissipate the extreme amounts of heat generated during standard operation. As the ship is not undergoing any powered maneuvers, the radiators aren't glowing (even though I had tried to apply a glowing metal material in Blender).

Using data from the original study, I ran some calculations and found that this ship could make the trip from Mars to Saturn in under a year (~308 days), which although a long time, is much faster than current interplanetary missions. In my Sci-Fi setting, Saturn is the furthest frontier of human expansion as of the late 21st Century, and is largely isolated from the turmoil in the rest of the solar system. This makes it an attractive option for those wishing to start a new life in the outer planets, away from the harsh conditions of the Jovian system, both natural and artificial. Seeing the need, the Trans-Saturnian Spacelines corporation was established to make the trip, with several such vessels travelling the route at different times. As they utilize the Brachistochrone trajectory, as opposed to the Hohmann transfer, they aren't limited to transfer windows. Where Hohmann transfers are lower-energy trajectories, they take much longer, whereas Brachistochrone trajectories are more direct, quicker, but come at the cost of much higher energy requirements. Something that fusion systems are well-suited to match.

While I considered making the gravity centrifuge able to compensate for acceleration, the gasdynamic mirror fusion system can only produce very limited acceleration, so I reasoned that two solid counter-rotating wheels would suffice. Considering the long transit times, this was probably a good call.