National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) is now testing a new engine that could reduce the journey to Mars to 45 days, from 450, writes the website of the company, General Atomics.
PHOTO: Pixabay
Currently, a round trip to Mars would take about three years, and in the event of an emergency, aid would be very difficult to reach. With the new thermonuclear propulsion engine, astronauts would be less exposed to cosmic radiation.
In the case of chemical propulsion, the currently used method, it is limited by its own mass, requiring a huge amount of fuel to represent a viable solution.
In thermonuclear propulsion (NTP), hydrogen is pumped into the core of a nuclear reactor, and uranium atoms there split apart and release heat through fission. This physical process heats the propellant and turns it into gas that is expanded through a nozzle to produce the thrust required for propulsion.
“The fuel must survive the extremely high temperatures and hot gas environment that an NTP reactor operating in space would typically encounter. And the recent test results represent a critical step in the successful demonstration of the fuel design for NTP reactorsGA-EMS President Scott Forney pointed out on the company’s official website.
The fuel created can withstand temperatures of 2,327 degrees Celsius, and will be tested to see how it fares under the “extreme operating conditions” of outer space.
Another recent NASA achievement is collecting possible evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars, which they are trying to bring to Earth.
Scientists believe these samples, collected from Jezero Crater — the site of a former lake and an ancient delta — could be one of the few ways to determine whether life ever existed on the red planet.
“We are exploring two new landing options. One involves using technology previously used to land the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers. The other is based on industry options”said dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “
