New Propulsion Technology Could Send Spaceships to Mars in a Month 

Mars-Earth comparison
[image credit: Wikipedia]

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This is one of several ideas being pursued in various countries, but with this one ‘a laboratory prototype of the engine has been developed’. Testing is planned to reach flight model stage by 2030, assuming it all works out of course.
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Russia’s Rosatom is developing a plasma electric rocket engine that could drastically reduce travel time to Mars, potentially making the journey in 30 to 60 days, says OilPrice.com.

Russia may have unlocked the technology needed to make travel to Mars viable. The limitations of existing propulsion systems mean that astronauts must travel for up to a year to reach Mars.

However, Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has developed a plasma electric rocket engine that it believes could send spacecraft to Mars in just 30 to 60 days.

Rosatom’s propulsion system uses a magnetic plasma accelerator, which it hopes will reduce space travel time. Mars is 140 million miles from Earth, meaning a 30-day journey would require an immense average speed of 195,000 miles per hour. In addition to improving efficiency, a faster travel time to Mars would decrease exposure to cosmic radiation for astronauts.

The innovative plasma engine requires the acceleration of particles between two electrodes under high voltage. The interaction between the electric current and the generated magnetic field expels the particles from the engine, providing continuous thrust.

The system has an average power of 300 kW and is expected to help spacecraft achieve far higher speeds than conventional propulsion systems.

“A plasma rocket motor is a type of electric motor. It is based on two electrodes. Charged particles are passed between them, and at the same time a high voltage is applied to the electrodes,” Egor Biriulin, a junior researcher at Rosatom’s scientific institute stated.

“As a result, the current creates a magnetic field that pushes the particles out of the engine. Thus, the plasma receives directional motion and creates thrust,” Biriulin added.

The engine is powered using hydrogen. As plasma does not need to be heated to a high temperature to function, it reduces the risk of temperature overload.

The scientists expect the engine to have a thrust of around 6 Newtons, which is far higher than other existing mechanisms and is expected to contribute to smooth acceleration and deceleration between planets.
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The team plans to use conventional chemical rocket technology to launch the spacecraft into orbit and once it’s in its designated orbit, the plasma engine will be activated. If successful, the technology could be used to increase the efficiency of other space missions.

Full article here.
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Image: Mars-Earth comparison [credit: Wikipedia]