If NASA were to work together with other space programs, could we accomplish the task of creating a mini star in the future. It wouldn't be huge, under a mile in diameter. We could make a core of hydrogen and helium plasma, then the rest would consist of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, and nitrogen. Is this possible?
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No, the internal pressure of a star helps to sustain the fusion that powers the star. A mini star as you describe would not have the great internal pressure produced by gravity in a regular star. This gravitational attraction produces enough pressure in the core region of a star to help it maintain nuclear fusion. A mini-star would not have this immense pressure. You can think of this was the weight of the material pulling inwards due to gravity. It takes a lot of mass to produce such an effect.
Natsfan
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Actually, it HAS already been done! Lasted a fraction of a second, but proved it CAN be done! Not yet fesable with current technological means, but soon will be. The Chinese say they've succeded in holding it together for a few seconds, which would be an outstanding achievement. Hold on, shortly it'll get more interesting, since it's one of the worlds most desired achievements and a game changer for the whole planet! Star-in-a-jar is what it's called.
