New Propulsion Technology Could Send Spaceships to Mars in a Month

Russia may have unlocked the technology needed to make travel to Mars viable. The limitations of existing propulsion systems mean that astronauts must travel for up to a year to reach Mars. However, Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has developed a plasma electric rocket engine that it believes could send spacecraft to Mars in just 30 to 60 days. Rosatom’s propulsion system uses a magnetic plasma accelerator, which it hopes will reduce space travel time. Mars is 140 million miles from Earth, meaning a 30-day journey would…