Latest news with #Space-CommExpo
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Nuclear Fusion Rocket May Hold the Key to Faster Travel to Mars
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, a nuclear fusion rocket concept by Pulsar Fusion, is designed to revolutionize the way humans travel to space, cutting in half the time it takes to get from Earth to Mars. Over the past decade, Pulsar Fusion worked to design the rocket in secret. It was publicly unveiled at the Space-Comm Expo on March 11 and has continued to make waves since. This week the company released a fresh video, an amination that shows the concept operating in space. The video features the planned rocket in action, leaving a dock and joining with a much larger spacecraft to propel the craft's journey forward at speed. Sunbird uses nuclear fusion technology for power. The International Atomic Energy Agency defines nuclear fusion as "the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy." Pulsar Fusion's nuclear fusion propulsion system was developed completely in-house by a team of scientists. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion The company commissioned two of the largest propulsion testing chambers in the U.K. to test the technology, and it plans to expand rapidly, the company's CEO said earlier this year, emphasizing the concept's scalability. "Nuclear fusion is the pinnacle of space propulsion technology. These reactors are uniquely suited to operate in orbit, where there's no atmosphere. In many ways, it's actually more practical to use fusion for in-space propulsion than it is for energy generation on Earth," Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, told Newsweek. "That said, we must pursue fusion for both energy and propulsion, and I believe humanity will ultimately succeed in both. The recent acceleration in AI capabilities have mega implications for fusion. Machine learning models help us manage ultra-hot plasmas with far greater precision, enabling reactors to become smaller, more intelligent and vastly more practical. This is an incredibly exciting time to be working in fusion," he said. Pulsar Fusion was started as Applied Fusion Systems in 2013. In 2023, the U.K. Space Agency funded its work on integrated nuclear fission power systems for electric propulsion, developed in collaboration with numerous institutions, including the University of Cambridge. Pulsar isn't the only player in the space. In 2019 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced it was studying fusion-driven rockets (FDR), something it called "a revolutionary approach to fusion propulsion," and noting that "it is believed that the FDR can be realized with little extrapolation from currently existing technology, at high specific power, at a reasonable mass scale and therefore cost." Newsweek contacted NASA for an update on its research but did not hear back from the organization by the deadline. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion Earth's nuclear reactors currently operate using fission. Pulsar's Sunbird uses a different fusion formula than fusion being studied for use in power plants. Large-scale nuclear fusion is thought to be a promising clean energy solution, but scientists believe that the practicality of its use on the planet is limited.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Stunning Fusion Rocket Could Cut Interplanetary Travel in Half—and We'll Try It in Just 2 Years
Nuclear rockets are the future of space propulsion, and while fission propulsion is rapidly developing, most believe fusion propulsion is still a ways off. However, a new U.K.-based company is claiming that its fusion-powered rocket, called 'sunbird' could be ready for space-based demonstration by as early as 2027. Designed to be a space 'tugboat' for interplanetary payloads, the company states that it could chop travel time between planets by more than half. Nuclear power holds a lot of promise for humanity's future. Its biggest potential lies in the worldwide effort to harness fusion—the energy-producing process that powers the Sun—to provide limitless clean energy on Earth. However, fusion also has other non-terrestrial applications that could benefit humans traveling beyond the life-sustaining embrace of our planetary home. A fusion rocket, for example, would have the immensely useful upside of being both powerful and efficient. This one-two propulsion punch could dramatically cut down travel times between planets—something that will be necessary if we have any hope of thriving beyond Earth. Now, in a surprise reveal, the U.K.-based company Pulsar Fusion revealed a reusable fusion rocket concept known as the 'sunbird.' Unlike rockets today, which launch from some terrestrial platform, these rockets would be stored in orbital satellite docks, and would then serve as a kind of interplanetary tugboat for missions to Mars and beyond. Pulsar Fusion, which also develops plasma thrusters and is designed for more near-term fission engines as well, described the project to Live Science as one of 'complete secrecy,' having begun more than 10 years ago. That decade of R&D is reflected in the company's aggressive timetable for the project—its website states that the rocket will begin static tests this year, with hopes of an in-orbit demonstration by 2027. The company publicly revealed the idea at the Space-Comm Expo in London earlier this month, and created a short video detailing how the system would work, complete with a rendering of the fusion engine and point-to-point docking system. Once perched in a space dock, the sunbird would refuel and recharge for another interplanetary voyage. 'Pulsar has built a reputation for delivering real technology—not just concepts,' Richard Dinan, CEO of the company, said in a press statement. 'We actively welcome visits from appropriate partners and prospective international clients and look forward to sharing more exciting developments we have in the pipeline.' So, what speeds will these fusion-powered tug boats be able to pull off? Sunbird will use what's known as a Duel Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD) engine, which uses fusion to create exhaust speeds exceeding anything capable today. For example, when New Horizons launched back in 2006, it took the spacecraft 9.5 years to finally reach Pluto. Pulsar Fusion claims that it could cut that travel time in half. 'If we are going to be the species that actually get to other planets, then exhaust speeds are pretty much the most important thing,' Dinan said during Expo, as reported by Live Science. 'In terms of what can be [theoretically] produced at exhaust speeds, fusion is king.' It may seem surprising that a company could even contemplate a fusion rocket demonstration in 2027, when fusion energy on Earth chronically remains decades away from realization. But, interestingly, comparing the engineering challenges in space and on earth is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. While fusion reactors need to pump out neutrons near-continuously to be viable sources of energy, the sunbird uses a deuterium-helium-3 fuel source to create protons, and only burns for small amounts of time. It remains a devilishly difficult engineering challenge, but one that's not quite as daunting as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and its tokamak brethren. Of course, space propulsion research is a kind of overpromise-and-underdeliver enterprise, but NASA and DARPA have plans to test its own fission rocket in 2027. One way or another, we're going to find out if the promise of nuclear propulsion will finally become reality in only a few years time. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Where do Britain stand in the global space race? ...The Standard podcast
Listen here on your chosen podcast platform. The London Standard is the media partner for this year's Space-Comm Expo at the ExCel, which takes place between the 11th and 12th of March. Science and technology reporter Will Rogers-Coltman joins The Standard podcast to discuss the future of British space technology. Plus, we hear from Castrol on their AstroAnt robot: an exciting project that on Thursday, was set to become the first miniature robotic mission on the moon's surface. We caught up with Nicola Buck, CMO at Castrol, who designed the AstroAnt robot with the MIT Media Lab.
