Devorará asteroides para obtener combustible

After affecting these cars that burn water, it has been shown that engines should not be limited to traditional fuels, but now we will see something much more impressive, a plasma engine that devours like asteroids! But, what is it about?

An engine that doesn’t need fuel

For several years, scientists have been looking for an engine that allows for higher speeds, without depending on expensive or limited fuels. So far, the alternatives have ranged from liquid fuels, nuclear energy, and electric propulsion, but none of them have been able to meet all their goals.

In search of solutions, a team of aerospace engineers has designed a new plasma engine that breaks all schemes, because unlike traditional engines, it does not use known fuel, but works with any type of metal.

Its name is Super Magrive and its operation breaks with everything known about space propulsion since then It allows ships not to return to Earth due to lack of fuel, because they could use comets, asteroids, or any space containing metals! Isn’t it amazing?

A promising research

The research is led by scientist Minkwan Kim, professor at the University of Southampton, who indicated the following:

«Spacecraft have limited amounts of fuel due to the enormous cost and energy required to launch them into space, but these new powers are capable of working with any metal that can burn, like iron, aluminum, or copper.»

The engine will start the satellite’s operation, but its creators have plans to increase its size and power in the future. Additionally, the team states that this engine will significantly reduce fuel costs and reduce the weight of the useful payload, contributing to ensuring the safety of satellites in their orbital paths.

A plasma engine ready to start

Super Magdrive is based on plasma propulsion, a system that heats a gas to turn it into ionized plasma. In this case, the engine uses any metal fuel as an energy source.

In a first stage, it will need to have a traditional engine, as a rocket equipped with this type of thruster does not generate enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity and reach space.

However, once the ship has left our planet and is in space, the plasma thrusters can boost it to its destination. Besides, The system harnesses the energy collected by its solar panels which is stored in capacitors for metallic ionization, releasing that energy at an extremely high speed.

Heading to Mars

The first Super Magdrive was successfully launched in 2023 aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transport-6 mission. However, the team is already working on a stronger thruster than its predecessor.

In this context, NASA intends to implement these technologies to shorten travel times to Mars.

With current technologies, a round trip to Mars would take approximately two years and nine months, but Howe Industries, with NASA’s support, aims to reduce this time similarly to a tourist trip and make it, Developing a plasma thruster capable of reaching speeds of up to 800,000 km/h.

Innovation has reached space

These impressive technologies show that innovation should not be limited to traditional cars, but can even be applied to NASA’s rockets!

These technologies will not only transform travel in our solar system, but could also open the door to interstellar missions in the future. In conclusion, this technology will mark a new chapter in NASA’s history, showing that, with innovation and commitment, great results can be achieved, like discovering this energy mine.