Humans Could Reach Mars In One Month In This 200,000 Kmph Nuclear Rocket
Planning to move to Mars when it's feasible? Worry not, a rocket company is currently testing nuclear rockets that will cut down travel time to Mars to just one month.Current rockets take about seven months to reach Mars after covering 480 million kilometres (300 million miles).?
Why travel time matters
Every journey in space is extremely dangerous. Longer journeys have higher scope of mechanical failures and encountering other space hazards. The pilot step towards minimising risks to human lives is by minimising the travel time and that's exactly what this company is trying to do.?
Called "Ad Astra Rocket Company", this Costra Rica-based rocket maker completed a record 88-hour long test of its Vasimr VX-200SS plasma rocket. Conducted at a facility near Houston in Texas, the test set a world record in terms of high-power endurance in electric propulsion.?
Also read:?SpaceX Makes History With 1st All-Civilian Spaceflight: Meet The Uncommon Astronauts
The Vasimr rocket (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket) uses an engine based on nuclear reactors to heat plasma to over two million degrees.Upon attaining this temperature, hot gas is expelled out of the engine's rear through magnetic fields, causing the rocket to move forward. With this, the rocket can achieve speeds as high as 197,950 kilometres/hour (123,000 mph).?
Watch how the propeller works in this clip:
With this astounding feat, Ad Astra not only hopes to make travel time in space shorter, but also safer for all parties involved. Current chemical rockets take much longer and open up windows of failures that could plague space travellers and astronauts.With growing interest in space tourism and exploration, it could be normal to be a spacefarer for everyone within this century with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic hoping to make space travel the norm.?
Also read:?Engineers Make Concrete From Astronaut Blood, Urine & Space Dust For Mars Houses
This may also help improve flying transit technology on Earth, as claimed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk.Are you excited about the prospect of reaching Mars in less than a month? We sure are.?
Let us know what you think about the groundbreaking tech in comments below.For the latest happenings in the world of science and technology, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
