Of all the planets in the solar system, Mars is undoubtedly the one that has attracted the most attention of humanity throughout the centuries, despite presenting characteristics that, in colloquial language, we could qualify as “of the bunch”: It does not have spectacular rings like those of Saturn, nor is it colossal in size like Jupiter. However, the truth is that we are all capable of project a photo of him in our mindsand even list some of its peculiarities.
Since Galileo Galilei observed Mars for the first time through a telescope, back in the 17th century, we have not stopped answering questions about it: Now we know it’s red, dusty, that it has two moons –Phobos and Deimos–, that its atmosphere is unbreathable and that it could have housed water in its past.
But apparently, these data are not enough to satisfy the curiosity of human beings regarding their neighbor. Now, a new NASA plan – framed in the Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program – not only The ultimate goal is to take humans to Marsbut at the same time overcome the main obstacle that stands in the way of this mission: the enormous distance between both planets.
With a propulsion system developed by Howe Industries that “can generate up to 100,000 Newtons of thrust with a specific impulse (ISP) of 5,000 seconds”, according to the official NASA statement, it is estimated that the arrival time could be reduced to 2 months, compared to the 5-10 estimated until now.
What is the “new” propulsion system?
Dubbed a pulsed plasma rocket (PPR), this new system could revolutionize the future panorama of space civilization. And, according to official information, it has the capacity to move both cargo and humans efficiently and quicklynot only to the red planet, but also to other distant locations such as the Asteroid Belt.
Representation of the pulsed plasma rocket: Concept of rapid and armored transit of humans to Mars.
The rocket is born from the concept of pulsed fission fusionwhich uses nuclear explosions to generate thrust force (measured in Newtons), “but is smaller, simpler and more affordable” than the prototype first proposed (and never completed) by Stanislaw Ulam in 1946, during the Manhattan Project.
Alternatively, the PPR allows transporting much heavier spacecraft which are equipped with shielding against galactic cosmic rays – coming from the remains of supernovae, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), thus reducing crew exhibition at negligible levels.
What is NASA’s NIAC program and how is it progressing?
As we mentioned before, the propulsion system developed by Howe Industries, which has already received funding from NASA, is part of a much broader program: the NIAC. This was originally created in 1998 and operated until 2007, later reestablished in 2011, and aims to support “early-stage studies to evaluate the feasibility of technologies that could support future aeronautical and space missions.”
What are those “spiders” captured by a probe on Mars?
Currently, it encompasses six visionary conceptual studies in terms of space exploration, among them: the pulsed plasma rocket, a lunar railway system or a fluid-based telescope.
The agency recently announced that all these innovative technological concepts, “similar to those in science fiction”, They have already passed their phase I studyand for this reason it is estimated that the next stage will begin in 2024, for which around $600,000 will be allocated.
Specifically, the PPR Phase I It focused on the evaluation of the neutronics system, design of the spacecraft, the power system and the necessary subsystems, the analysis of the magnetic nozzle capabilities and the determination of trajectories and benefits. For its part, the Phase II plans, based on the results, to optimize the engine design, perform tests of the main components and, finally, complete the design of the armored ship.
To reach that goal, there may still be a lot of time and work ahead, and this is because the proposals of the scientific community advance at a speed greater than the sophistication of technological resources. However, NASA is engaging the best and most innovative entrepreneurs in the country to achieve his “dream” of transporting humans to Mars: a milestone that seems to be getting closer to becoming a reality.
