Professor Paul Czysz is the former Chief Scientist for the National Aerospace Plane Project, and currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus at Saint Louis University's Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering. Our interview focuses on his role at NASP, and how Aneutronic Nuclear Fusion may serve as a next-generation solution leading to a new type of "highway to the stars", through a combined scramjet/aneutronic fusion-rocket bimodal propulsion system.

The NASP project's X-30 configuration was basically a highly integrated engine. The shovel shaped forward fuselage generated a shock wave to compress air before it entered the engine. The aft fuselage formed an integrated nozzle to expand the exhaust. The engine in between was intended to be a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine. The aerodynamic configuration was an example of a waverider. Most of the lift was generated by the fuselage through a phenomenon called compression lift. The "wings" were small fins that provided trim and control. This configuration would make for efficient high-speed flight, but would have made take-off and slow-speed flight difficult.

Since the closure of the NASP Project in 1993, Professor Czsyz has refined the X-30 design into an even more powerful concept by incorporating his vision for an aneutronic fusion-reactor to provide clean, powerful thrust to exceed even the Mach 14 limits of the scramjet engine and provide a true high-speed spaceplane technology.

Hypertech LLC is the aerospace startup firm that Czsyz created to help him realize this vision of a practical hypersonic aircraft technology for rapid transit applications. In 2005, he joined forces with PlanetSpace, Inc to unveil a new concept for the "Silver Dart" - a Mach 22 hypersonic suborbital spaceplane...

Related: Aurora & Beyond (PDF), Paul Czsyz Video Interview, Paul Czysz Audio Interview, AJAX and Magnetohydrodynamics, Hypersonic MHD Implementation, Hypersonic Technical Data, Russian AJAX Technical Analysis, Space - The Final Design Frontier, Model 176 Hypersonic Shuttle, Hypersonic Design Notes

Abstract: 2025 and 2050 Military Aerospace Vehicles
Site: SLU Faculty Page, PlanetSpace Article
Gratis: OSEN Canada