NASA has completed testing of a lithium-fed electromagnetic thruster, reaching more than five times the power of existing electric propulsion systems.
New Technology
The new tech could significantly shorten the time it takes to reach Mars, potentially cutting months off the journey. Current rockets are estimated to achieve a travel time of around nine months each way to Mars and back.
The technology was put to the test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The electromagnetic thruster running on lithium metal vapor was tested at power levels exceeding any previous test in the United States.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
