Are we now finally ready for an interplanetary journey to Mars?
A group of scientists from Rosatom — a Russian nuclear corporation — has just unveiled a prototype engine powered by plasma, the fourth state of matter, that they are promising that is going to be capable to take a spaceship to Mars more quickly, shorten the travel time.
The fuel is unlike anything we’ve seen before, and has sparked not only the scientific excitement but also public imagination about the future of space exploration.
An engine that “flies” with sunfire
New Nuclear & Energy Technologies is the name of the national project in Russia, responsible for developing the fuel that promises to make a rocket reach a speed beyond what is possible in chemical engines.
Unlike these traditional chemical engines, that burn liquid or solid fuel, the plasma engine uses ionized gas, that is the same substance that makes up the sun and lightning — and that is other fuel like that. It is estimated that with this fuel it will be possible to travel to Mars in 2 or 3 months, a journey that previously took at least a year, according to Alexey Voronov, First Deputy General for Science at the Rosatom Research Institute.
The plasma engine has already undergone initial tests and according to the scientists behind it, this engine heats plasma to extreme temperatures, producing the high-speed necessary for the spacecraft flight with efficiency to Mars.
Science fiction becoming reality
Films like Star Trek and Interstellar have already shown the idea of a plasma engine, in a very simple and easy way. But the truth is that bringing science fiction to reality has been much more complex, with many technical challenges.
The Russian technique used to build the plasma engine is based on electric propulsion and is extremely difficult to implement. The advantage is that, if successfully applied, it makes ideal for long-distance space travel, since the speed increases towards the end and fuel consumption is lower than other engines.
This possibility opens a window for more ambitious explorations of the solar system. If interplanetary travel for humans previously seemed impossible, with this kind of technological plasma engine, this scenario could become a reality. Will human colonization of Mars be possible from now on?
Beyond space exploration: the impacts of this technology on Earth
Traveling to Mars seems like a cool idea, but in a more practical way and applicable to our daily lives, the creation of a technology like a plasma engine can greatly improve the planet that we already live.
The development of this type of engine could directly impact important areas like logistics, communication, security, health or energy. A more sustainable engine like this has a direct impact on the search for alternative energy solutions, potentially revolutionizing energy production on Earth with the study of plasma for the area of nuclear fusion.
There’s an infinity of possibillities on how this technology could be applied in society. As in other eras of technological advancement, what emerges from space missions can quickly find new uses in our daily lives. This reinforces the idea that this is not only a scientific achievement, but also an important action in geopolitics, with countries investing in innovation as a way of demonstrating power and being responsible for the development of technology in many areas of human life.
New possibilities
More than a technological feat, this Russian plasma engine signals a future where space travel is routine. But more than just cutting down the journey to Mars, this breakthrough invites us to rethink how we explore the cosmos and how that might reshape and improve life on Earth to a better future ahead.
