NASA invents a new kind of motor. - Could two-month-long trips to Mars become a reality in the future?
In 2040, the first human may walk on Mars. However, the voyage to this distant planet would be challenging and time-consuming with the current propulsion systems, lasting roughly nine months. A journey fraught with danger due to the distance between Earth and Mars.
A revolutionary new rocket system could transform future space missions to Mars, cutting the journey time to a mere two months. According to Space.com, NASA and private tech company Howe Industries have jointly developed this new technology.
They've created a "pulsed plasma rocket." Instead of using the chemical fuels typical in today's propulsion systems, the Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR) creates a controlled plasma jet through nuclear fission. This results in much higher speeds in a fraction of the time. The plasma jet can be guided using powerful magnets.
Reach farther destinations with less time
The PPR doesn't only facilitate longer-range missions, but could also transport heavier spacecraft. More material could be transported in a single space flight, and additional shielding could be added to safeguard crew members from harmful cosmic radiation.
A NASA official was quoted as saying, "The PPR ushers in a new era of space exploration!" The team is now in phase II of development, focusing on engine design optimization, test experiments, and designing a Mars spacecraft concept.
This development brings us one step closer to the historic first human step on Mars.
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Source: symclub.org
