Russian engine to reach Mars in one or two months

Researchers from Rosatom's Troitsk Institute have developed a plasma rocket engine based on a magnetoplasma gas pedal. They have also created a laboratory prototype of the unit.

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The propulsion system will be able to accelerate particles (charged electrons and protons) to a speed of 100 km/s. This will allow spacecraft to fly between planets, reach the far corners of the solar system and go beyond it.

"In traditional engines, the maximum lapse rate of matter is about 4.5 km/s. This is due to the conditions of fuel combustion. In contrast, in our engine the working body is charged particles that are accelerated by an electromagnetic field, which makes it possible to achieve much higher speeds," Alexei Voronov, first deputy general director for science at the Troitsk Institute, told Izvestia.

According to him, thanks to the new propulsion systems, the time of spacecraft flight to Mars will be reduced to one or two months (depending on the size and weight of the ship and cargo).

At present, a prototype engine has been prepared. It is intended for ground testing and development of various engine operating modes. According to the plan, the flight model of the unit will appear in 2030.