NASA and Ad Astra Rocket Company have entered into a Space Act Agreement that could lead to conducting a space flight test of the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine on the International Space Station (ISS).

The VASIMR engine is a new plasma–based space propulsion technology, initially studied by NASA and currently under commercial development by Ad Astra. The agreement was fully executed on December 8, 2008. This is the third agreement entered into by the parties since June, 2005 relating to the VASIMR technology development. The agreement is structured in a series of “gates,” designed to allow the parties to assess the requirements on an incremental basis while proceeding to flight. Upon the successful achievement of the milestones set forth in the agreement, NASA and Ad Astra envision that VASIMR will be launched to the ISS where the rocket can be tested, for the first time, in its intended environment: the vacuum of outer space.

The NASA Authorization Act of 2005, Section 507 (P.L. 109-155) designates the U.S. portion of the ISS a National Laboratory. The primary technical objective of the project is to operate the VASIMR VF-200 engine at power levels up to 200 kW. Engine operation will be restricted to pulses of up to 10 minutes at this power level. Energy for these high-power operations will be provided by a battery system trickle-charged by the ISS power system. These tests will mark the first time that a high-power, steady-state electric thruster will be used as part of a manned spacecraft. Ad Astra is developing the VF-200 payload entirely with funds from private investors. The partnership described in this agreement represents a collaboration between NASA and a private entity that has never before attempted.

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