Russian scientists have developed a plasma electric rocket engine that could enable travel to Mars in just one to two months.

Dr. King is an experimentalist interested in studying electric space propulsion systems, including Hall-effect thrusters, ion engines, and arcjets. By utilizing strong electromagnetic forces to ...

In PFE, the electromagnetic fields can be configured to maximize efficiency ... "Numerical Simulation of Electron-Beam Powered Plasma Fueled Engines," AIAA 2021-3241. AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2021 ...

"Electric propulsion works by ionizing a neutral gas, usually xenon, and then using electric fields to accelerate the resulting ions. The ions, now forming a high-speed plasma beam, push the ...

As such, scientists are looking into other methods of propulsion, from pulsed plasma thrusters to solar sails ... program could cut down the travel time to Mars to a much more tolerable 45 days.

More information: Chen Cui et al, Vlasov simulations of electric propulsion beam, Plasma Sources Science and Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/ad98c0 Provided by University of Virginia ...