Inside NASA’s mega plasma rocket that could help send astronauts to MARS – and the flight would only take 2 months

NASA has revealed that it is funding the development of a historic pulsed plasma rocket that it hopes will enable “an entirely new era in space exploration.”

The rocket is expected to take future astronauts to Mars on a journey that would take just 2 months – less than half the time currently possible.

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A one-way trip to the Red Planet takes about nine months, with current technology, according to NASA.

But for a round trip, it would take almost two years.

This is because astronauts must wait about three months on Mars to ensure Earth and Mars are in a suitable location to make the trip home.

It is feasible that a return trip could take just seven months with this next-generation rocket technology.

The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), being developed by Howe Industries and funded by NASA, would completely revolutionize the process of transporting humans and cargo to Mars.

“The future of a space civilization will depend on the ability to transport cargo and humans efficiently and quickly,” NASA said in a recent statement. declaration.

“However, none of these technologies are currently available.”

The PPR propulsion system can generate up to 100,000 newtons of thrust with a high specific impulse (Isp) of 5,000 seconds.

These numbers show an incredibly efficient rocket system that requires much less fuel than traditional rockets.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting people to Mars is that rockets simply can’t carry enough propellant to get there.

Rockets tend to use a lot of fuel during liftoff to complete a typical nine-month mission to Mars.

A refueling base on the Moon is one solution, but another is the development of a new propulsion system.

The PPR will also allow much heavier spacecraft, equipped with shielding to protect against Galactic Cosmic Rays, to travel further into space.

This will help protect astronauts from cancer-causing radiation on their trips to the Red Planet and beyond.

This comes as SpaceX’s Starship – another NASA option for taking humans to Mars – prepares for its fourth test flight.

Although Elon Musk’s space company has not yet revealed an official date, the launch is scheduled for late May or early June 2024.