Even though it can be said that the technology is in fact more advanced than ever and there are many things that the humanity has achieved, there is still some progress to be made. Besides some of the most amazing innovation in the car industry this year, we might be facing an absolutely groundbreaking discovery when it comes to space rockets. Namely, Ad Astra Rocket Company of Texas managed to built the VASIMR plasma engine, which is fact an abbreviation for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket.
The whole project was funded by NASA i.e. the company was given $10 million to continue their development in the production of the rocket. It seems that this has surely paid off hence the VASIMR plasma engine is going to be able to propel a spaceship to Mars in less than 6 weeks.
Yes, no matter how unbelievable it might sound, but this rocket is going to travel at speed that is 10 times faster than the current chemical rockets and it going to burn just one-tenth of the amount of fuel that they burn.
It works on a basic principle i.e. it heats the plasma up, which is in fact an electrically charged gas to massive temperature using radio waves. There is couple of pictures that are going to help you in understanding how this rocket works and what some of its main parts are.
What do you think, is the VASIMR plasma rocket going to represent the future of spaceships and rockets?
At last, check out this matchstick rocket launching kit!
