Russian scientists test plasma engine that could cut Mars travel to about 30 Days

Russian scientists at Troitsk Institute are testing a propulsion system, a prototype plasma rocket engine for deep space exploration. This is not a conventional chemical rocket; it uses plasma, accelerated by electromagnetic fields, to generate continuous thrust. The engine is being developed by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. It could reduce the interplanetary travel time from several months to less than a month.

Plasma rockets vs chemical rockets

Plasma rockets are fundamentally different from conventional chemical rockets. For hundreds of years, space exploration has depended on chemical rockets. Chemical rockets pack fuel into a tank and combust it for thrust the rocket upwards. The method is destructive. It is brute force, not elegance, an idea born out of necessity, not imagination. Each rocket consumes a gigantic amount of energy. The system has its drawbacks, such as burning an excessive amount of fuel for long missions.

Plasma rockets, on the other hand has high fuel efficiency; they rely on electromagnetic fields to accelerate charged hydrogen particles, requiring less than 1/10 of the original fuel required. The field has gained increased attention from scientists. Contrary to chemical rockets, Plasma rockets generate much lower thrusts but can travel for a longer duration, gradually building up a higher speed that can travel for a longer duration. If the Russian system reaches a longer distance, then it will have significant implications for space exploration. Plasma rockets require an onboard nuclear reactor to provide a constant energy supply. The expectation is that in space, there is abundant hydrogen, so it will be useful for SITU refuelling.

What is the Russian Media claiming about the plasma engine?

The prototype engine is currently being tested inside a 14m long vacuum chamber designed to simulate space conditions. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the engine operates at a power level of 300 kilowatts in a pulsed periodic mode and has demonstrated a lifespan of 2,400 hours, which would be enough for a Mars travel, including the acceleration and deceleration phase. Researchers claim that the engine accelerates charged hydrogen particles, including protons and electrons, to speeds reaching 100 km per second, compared to the exhaust velocities of 4.5 km per second of a traditional rocket.

However, plasma engines already exist on many satellites in orbits, including systems on OneWeb aircraft and NASA’s Psyche mission launched in 2023. Most of them have an exhaust velocity of 30-50 km per second. The Russian claim of 100 km per second marks a significant step forward.