To Mars in 30 days
Researchers at the University of Washington say they've built all the
pieces for a fusion-powered rocket system that could get a crew to Mars
in 30 days. Now they just have to put the pieces together and see if
they work.
"If we can pull off a fusion demonstration in a year,
with hundreds of thousands of dollars ... there might be a better,
cheaper, faster path to using fusion in other applications," John
Slough, a research assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics,
told NBC News.
[...]
Next steps
Slough's work at the University of Washington and a private-sector spin-off called MSNW has been supported by grants from the Department of Energy and NASA — including $600,000 from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concept Program,
or NIAC. So far, researchers have created the deuterium droplets and
heated them up to fusion temperatures. They've also tested the magnetic
system for crushing ringlets of aluminum. "Now we've got to do them both
together and see that work," Slough said.
