Science in Seconds - Plasma Rockets

Science in Seconds Know Everything RAVES - Plasma Rockets Rheanna Sand: Being the first human to set foot on Mars sure does sound exciting, but the trip time is such a downer. Who wants to spend three years hurtling through space to get to a dusty bare planet? But what about 39 days to get to a dusty bare planet? Now, we're talking! Yes, in the same time it takes for you to find your car after a night at the movieplex, astronauts could fly to Mars. How, you may ask? Using plasma rockets, a new type of propulsion that seems to have been plucked right out of science fiction. Plasma rockets work by harnessing the energy of a gas, in this case argon, that has been ionized, energized and amplified by electromagnetic waves, and then funneled at the back to produce thrust. So, how awesome are these things? Well, traditional wussy chemical rockets have a specific impulse value of around 500, whereas plasma rockets have values in the thousands, or even tens of thousands. And in fact, a megawatt level plasma rocket would make not just Mars, but the entire solar system accessible to human travel. And the amazing part is how close this technology is to reality. Multiple ground tests have been successfully conducted, and these things will be up on the International Space Station in 2013. Up there, they can do a few field tests, and give the station a little nudge when it needs it. All I can say is, holy [bleeped] ! Courtesy of Science in Seconds – All rights reserved Only for educational/non-profit purposes. (Translators are invited to put their name here)