Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Dept of Energy budget requests for 2008

re: Dept of Defence budget
SDF — (archived)

US Department of Defence budget $419.3 billion

...including

$69.355 billion for Research, Development, Test & Evaluation.
$3.12 billion for Revolving funds and other costs (whatever that is).

Somwhere in there was:

$2 million for Robert Bussard's wiffle-ball reactor (WB-1 thru 6).

From what I've read, and also from Bussard's Google video, he actually ISN'T seeking $200 million for a Demo reactor, he just wants another $2 million to build another test model (WB-7) in order to solve some of the engineering problems he had with WB-6.

Quote: "there is much left to do, iespecially in controls and diagnostics, but these are predictable things not dependent on beating the Paschen curve. And we still have to develop some reliable e-guns and i-sources, again predictable enginering that costs both time and money, but not new physics. "

..."So, as we cut down, we managed to save the lab equipment, by transfer to SpaceDev, which hired our three best lab people as well, and we are still trying to get the missing $ 2M restored and put into our existing but unfunded contract. IF this happens - which is improhable, given the politics of this election year, and the non-visionary people in Congress - we will redo WB-6 with an improved and better version (WB-7) which should give 5x more output, and run about 50 tests to quiet dissent. AND we will convene a review panel of very high-level and internationally distinguished people to spend about 6 weeks going over this to recommend for or against proceeding with a full scale demo. "

So, I've improved MY understanding of the subject. Now where's that book...

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