Rocket with plasma hyperdrive: a month to Mars

Ad Astra Rocket is developing a new type of space propulsion system that could make future space missions more efficient. If installed on a spacecraft bound for Mars, it could reach the red planet within a month, significantly reducing the journey time from the current nearly 500 days.

The founder of the company is former American astronaut Franklin. He plans to use a new type of spacecraft propulsion system to send astronauts into space, making trips between the International Space Station and Earth more convenient. This propulsion system is known as the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), which generates reverse thrust by ejecting hot plasma to propel the spacecraft forward.

According to relevant researchers, the new plasma rocket engine has a faster exhaust velocity than traditional rocket engines, meaning that spacecraft can accelerate to a certain speed in a short period of time, greatly reducing travel time for long-distance space missions. Former astronaut Franklin believes our goal is to change the way we transport in space through revolutionary technology. This technology can now be presented in the form of animations and videos. Franklin holds a Ph.D. in plasma physics from MIT and became an astronaut in 1980, completing seven shuttle missions. In 2005, he began organizing the development of the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket propulsion system, aiming to transform the future of space travel.

The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket uses electromagnetic forces to generate highly efficient thrust from a stream of hot plasma. Over time, its speed increases continuously. Theoretically, this propulsion system could be used for Mars missions, reaching the red planet in less than forty days. The rocket engine could also bring significant commercial benefits, such as being equipped on spacecraft designed to capture or deflect asteroids, used on orbital cleaners for space debris, or docked with the International Space Station to serve as a temporary propulsion system to boost the station's orbit height.