They are SERIOUSLY discussing this..
In 39 days this type of engine could get us to Mars. That sounds pretty cool and expensive but some think it is definitely worth it besides satisfying intellectual curiosity. But of course the first challenge is thrust. Current rocket engines that burn solid fuels are super powerful but likely could not get us to the red planet or other parts of the solar system with people in a reasonable time frame. However, this technique which is barely at the prototype phase has yielded some promising results.
Is this insane or what?
Let’s find out more about how this could work in the video on page
Here is a bit more information on how this thruster works. The basic technology has been known for a few decades but they made some improvements:
Known as a Hall thruster, these engines have been operating in space since 1971, and are now routinely flown on communication satellites and space probes to adjust their orbits when needed. These things are awesome, and scientists want to use them to get humans to Mars, except there’s one – rather large – problem: the current lifespan of a Hall thruster is around 10,000 operation hours, and that’s way too short for most space exploration missions, which require upwards of 50,000 hours.
What do you think? Is this a reasonable way to get people to Mars? And if we did that, what would the purpose be and what would be the best things to do first? Feel free to comment with your ideas.
And they are actually discussing future fundings in congress right now for some of these types on engines which should pique the interest of space fans too.
thanks to aip.org for the great info
thanks to sciencealert.com for the great info
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