Search Results for: international

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New Videos Show Most Powerful Space Engine In Action [Space]

These beautifully stunning videos show the formidable power of the Ad Astra’s VASIMR VX-200, the most powerful space engine in existence. Running at 1,800,000ºF, it looks like Satan opened the peephole of the doors of hell.

The plama engine was tested on September 30, breaking the 200kW maximum power milestone. According to the company, the design has exceeded the predicted performance by 25%. The VASIMR VX-200 has two electromagnetic stages: The first one runs at 32kW and generates plasma from Argon gas, while the second one uses the plasma to output an additional 168kW.

This plasma engine will cut the need for massive amounts of fuel, taking down the current consumption of 7.5 tons of propellant per year—used in the shuttle and other spaceships—down to 0.3 tons. It will also be extremely fast, cutting down the travel to Mars from six months to just 39 days.

The VASIMR will be tested in late 2013 at the International Space Station. Hopefully those guys will pull the handbrake before they find themselves halfway to Saturn. [Universe Today—Thanks Gonzalo Oxenford]


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Microsoft Says No Zune HD Outside the U.S (For Now) [Zune Hd]

Ouch, sorry friendly neighbors to the North. The Zune HD hits the U.S next week (Sept 15), but Microsoft has now confirmed that it currently has no plans to make it available beyond the States. At least for the moment.

Microsoft told Ars that:

“For the time being the Zune HD device will remain US only. Right now we are focused on deploying an exciting service in the form of Zune Video to 18 markets. We are looking at potential future hardware experiences for these markets, but do not have anything to announce right now.”

So that doesn’t say never, it just looks like they’re focusing on the U.S. first. The original Zune 30GB hit the U.S in November 2006, and it took until June 2008 for it to reach Canada. But given Apple’s ho-hum updates, something tells me that the Zune HD could roll out overseas much quicker than that. [ArsTechnica via Engadget]