A reality star is bankrolling a new type of space engine that could one day take astronauts to Mars – and his team has just passed a major benchmark.
A video of a fusion engine in action has been posted online by Brit company Pulsar FusionCredit: Pulsar Fusion
Scientists at Pulsar Fusion, a firm founded by Richard and based in Milton Keynes, have recorded footage of the engine in action for the first time. A clip uploaded to the team's YouTube channel last week gave viewers a look inside the hyper-fast tech, which is designed for use in deep space. The Pusar engine works by generating thrust from a super-heated gas known as plasma that reaches temperatures in the millions of degrees. In the video, viewers can see a ring of plasma at the core hotter than any gas on Earth and confined by an electromagnetic field.
Richard Dinan is also CEO of rocket engine firm Pulsar FusionCredit: Getty - Contributor
The field is firing out particles at speeds of over 20 kilometres a second, Pulsar Fusion said in a press release.
If scaled up, the technology could one day propel rockets to speeds of 100,000mph, according to the company.
This would allow space agencies to halve the time taken to travel between Earth and Mars by current rockets, which rely on liquid fuel.
"Nuclear Fusion rocket technology has the ability to half mission times to Mars and could open up the possibility of visiting planets outside of our solar system," Pulsar Fusion claims.
It's hoped scientists can one day scale up the prototype engine (pictured) and strap it to rockets for journeys into deep spaceCredit: Pulsar Fusion
The engine works by firing argon gas through a 12-inch wide nozzle at a top speed of 56,000mph.
The gas is superheated to millions of degrees and magnetised so it fires out of the back of the engine, generating thrust. Following this milestone, Pulsar Fusion now plans to test its groundbreaking technology in space.
A larger prototype device is due for completion in 2022. It will likely take decades for pulsar engines to make their way to functioning rockets.
Richard has been working on the project for several yearsCredit: INSTAGRAM/RICHARDDINAN
Other teams at Applied Fusion Systems in the UK and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in the US are developing similar engines.
Richard Dinan said: "Pulsar will now commence testing of this technology in real world conditions with our partners in the USA. "We will also begin construction of our larger, next generation device due for completion in 2022.
This project aims to operate a plasma firing at temperatures of several hundred million degrees and will involve advanced materials currently being developed alongside government fusion reactors.
Richard Dinan@RichardDinan
Pulsar Fusion specialises in developing #NuclearFusion technology for use as propulsion. In this video, one can see footage from inside the vacuum chamber taken of a modified Ion Thruster developed by Pulsar for research into possible fusion engine designs. Whilst governments plan to demonstrate the world’s first nuclear fusion reactor (ITER) in 2025, Pulsar Fusion, a nimble start up in the UK, aims to have demonstrated nuclear fusion rocket engines in space before fusion technology is harnessed for grid power supply on Earth.
Fusion rocket engines are useful technology using nuclear fusion technology today, whilst fusion for energy may still be several decades away due extensive additional technological requirements and the multi-national and typically highly bureaucratic power station timescales.
Fusion rockets do not require large steam turbines and much of the expensive equipment necessary for a power station build project that can take many years to finance and construct.
However, by 2100, world governments predict nuclear fusion will be the dominant power supply of our planet, replacing nuclear fission.
Nuclear Fusion rocket technology has the ability to half mission times to Mars and could open up the possibility of visiting planets outside of our solar system. Visit the Pulsar Fusion Website : www.pulsarfusion.com Follow Pulsar Fusion on Twitter and Instagram @PulsarFusion
Premiered on 8 Jul 2020 - Duration: 1:10 [wwb videoplayer]
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