Propulsion technologies that are powered by fusion energy provide a viable method for humans to travel to Mars, according to an NBC report titled “To Mars and back quickly: Improved propulsion technology in works.”

Harnessing the power of nuclear fusion— the same process that fuels the sun and gives hydrogen bombs their enormous destructive potential — would make such speedy trips possible, team members say.

In their engine, bubbles of plasma — made from deuterium and tritium, “heavy” isotopes of hydrogen — would be injected into a chamber, where a magnetic field would collapse metal rings around them. This would briefly compress the bubbles into a fusion state, releasing energy that would vaporize and ionize the metal. The metal would then be accelerated out the back of the spacecraft through a nozzle, creating thrust.

Share on Facebook

Tweet