Hot Rockets!
Without a doubt, rocket engines are hot. Variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rockets fire continuously during a mission; therefore, a proper thermal system is needed to dissipate the waste heat and maintain a stable steady-state operating temperature.
To design an optimal lightweight cooling system, accurate measurement of the heat inside the engine is crucial. Ad Astra Rocket Company in Houston is developing a high-power, electric, variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket...
Photonics Spectra, August 2008