That in particular is nuclear power to run it. He said that Vasimir won't work because the nuclear power needed for the Vasimir hasn't been invented and couldn't be invented.
He must not know about the Nerva rocket engine developed during the Apollo Era.
Even a relatively small Nerva type rocket engine nuclear core would suffice for a Vasimir to power a Mars mission in a short time frame. The trick would be to turn the heat energy into electric energy on that scale. That would be the hard part. Getting the energy itself would be the easy part.
Actually, the biggest trick is getting rid of all the heat. There's no place for it to go.
Maybe you can turn the heat into light and the light can get rid of the excess energy.
Update:
This post is not to defend Vasimir, but to point out Zubrin's error.
One thing I've noticed about all rockets is that they are energy hogs. If you can solve that problem, you can do a lot towards reducing the amount of mass needed to get from point a to point b.
Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
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