Nuclear rocket with 100,000 N thrust could offer fastest Mars trips [Video]

Mars, the Red Planet, has long captured our imagination to find alien life and establish a human base. However, the road to Mars has myriad challenges. 

NASA has been actively working to develop and advance technologies to send astronauts and payloads to Mars efficiently and rapidly. 

The first step in reaching Mars is to create a propulsion system capable of quickly transporting massive cargoes to and from the distant planet. 

US-based Howe Industries has been developing a technology called pulsed plasma rocket (PPR).

Notably, this propulsion system would produce up to 100,000 N of thrust with a specific impulse (Isp) of 5,000 seconds — meeting the two primary requirements for deep space missions. This makes it a promising candidate for future deep space missions.

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