The Antiproton Decelerator is a unique machine that produces low-energy antiprotons for studies of antimatter, and “creates” antiatoms. Isolated and stored antimatter could be used as a fuel for interplanetary or interstellar travel as part of an antimatter-catalyzed nuclear pulse propulsion or another antimatter rocket. Since the energy density of antimatter is higher than that of conventional fuels, an antimatter-fueled spacecraft would have a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than a conventional spacecraft.
It is very difficult to create and store antimatter on earth while a collision between any particle and its anti-particle leads to their mutual annihilation. An ideal location to create and store antimatter would be where there is no matter in the first place. The vacuum of space is an ideal location. The South Atlantic Anomaly is an area where Earth's inner Van Allen radiation belt comes closest to Earth's surface, dipping down to an altitude of 200 km. This leads to an increased flux of energetic particles in this region.
My proposition is to create a robotic space station that would create antimatter in space. Like in ISS it would be composed of sections. One of the sections would be Antiproton Decelerator. Its orbit would pass over the South Atlantic Anomaly to harvest the highly energetic particles already created by the sun. Ideally, it should be powered by nuclear batteries in order to reduce drag of solar panels at lower altitudes.
To have particle accelerator on earth and anti-particle decelerator in space makes sense.
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