Fusion News: CBS News – Quick fusion-powered trips to Mars no fantasy, scientists say

A fusion-driven rocket may be able to make transportation between earth and Mars a viable option. Fusion enables faster travel which decreases exposure to dangerous radiation as reported by CBS News in an article titled “Quick fusion-powered trips to Mars no fantasy, scientists say.”

A trip to Mars and back takes about 500 days using traditional chemical propulsion systems. Spending so much time in deep space poses serious health risks for astronauts, who would be exposed to lots of radiation and would have to exercise like mad to minimize bone and muscle loss.

Developing a faster propulsion system is thus a chief goal of NASA, which aims to get people to the vicinity of the Red Planet by the mid-2030s. The space agency has funded Pancotti’s fusion-rocket team — led by John Slough of the University of Washington — through its NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, or NIAC.