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Fusion rocket could cut Mars trips in half and reach Pluto in four years | New Sunbird rocket uses star-like fusion to propel spacecraft
Unlike conventional chemical rockets, Sunbird relies on nuclear fusion – a process that replicates the energy production at the core of stars – to propel spacecraft. Rather...
The broader vision includes deploying a fleet of heavily shielded spacecraft stationed in orbit to support missions for international partners, potentially enabling routine travel between Earth, Mars, and beyond. Dinan likened Sunbird's functionality to urban bike-sharing systems: reusable vehicles stationed in orbit that rendezvous with spacecraft mid-journey to replace inefficient chemical engines with fusion-powered alternatives. Helicity Space, for example, has secured an investment from Lockheed Martin to develop its own fusion engine, while NASA and General Atomics are advancing fission-based reactors for potential crewed Mars missions, with tests scheduled for 2027.
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