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Gizmodo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Jaw-Dropping Video Shows Concept for Fusion Rocket That Might Halve Mars Travel Time
Over the past decade, a U.K.-based nuclear propulsion startup has been working behind the scenes to develop a fusion rocket that could cut flight time to Mars in half. This week, it unveiled the concept in a striking new video. The Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, designed by Pulsar Fusion, would be capable of reaching 329,000 miles per hour (over 529,000 kilometers per hour), the company claims. This would make it the fastest self-propelled object ever created, drastically reducing space travel time. Unlike current rockets that launch from terrestrial bases, Sunbirds would be stored on giant orbital docking stations each designed to host up to five at a time, Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, told Gizmodo in an email. In the video, one of these rockets undocks from its station and uses its eight thrusters to gently attach to a larger spacecraft (the video portrays what appears to be a SpaceX Starship upper stage), then propel it to a faraway planet. Picture a jet pack, but for spaceships. Once it reaches the destination, Sunbird detaches and docks to an awaiting station. Such a system would allow these rockets to be used again and again, carrying spacecraft to and from deep space. The Sunbirds' unprecedented speed would be generated by their Dual Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD) engines, which the company claims will harness the power of nuclear fusion: the atomic process that powers the Sun and other stars. In theory, this type of engine could produce significantly more energy per unit of fuel than any that exist today. Pulsar Fusion says its DDFD engines are projected to produce exhaust speeds of roughly 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second). But this technology still has a long way to go before it becomes available. The company aims to demonstrate components of its power system later this year, according to an emailed statement. The next step will be in-orbit testing, with a goal of achieving nuclear fusion in space by 2027. Getting the world's first nuclear fusion rocket off the ground in just two years is a lofty goal. But Pulsar Fusion is confident that growing interest in fusion-based propulsion will drive development forward, so to speak. Indeed, the U.S. and other global spaceflight leaders have set their own ambitious timelines for missions to the Moon and Mars. Sunbirds could quickly deliver cargo to both destinations. Pulsar Fusion expects these rockets to be able to propel 2,200 to 4,400 pounds (1,000 to 2,000 kilograms) of commercial cargo, such as habitats, rovers, or supplies to Mars in under six months, according to the company's website. Sunbirds could also be used to transport probes throughout the solar system, assist asteroid mining missions, and ferry telescopes to deep space, according to Payload. Each unit is expected to cost about $70 million upon commercial rollout, Dinan said. He believes the rocket's hefty price tag will be tempered by its 'substantial' returns, stating that customers could recoup their investment within one to two years through 'active service in orbital logistics, deep space science missions, or infrastructure deployment.' All of this hinges on rapid development and successful in-orbit testing. But if Pulsar Fusion can get its Sunbirds off the ground, our cosmic neighborhood will suddenly feel a whole lot smaller.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Australian polar adventurer turned astronaut Eric Philips takes part in historic SpaceX mission
Sitting under the night sky at Eric Philips' home in Victoria's high country, it is hard not to feel close to the cosmos. "The stars are always alluring and the place of dreams, right?" he said. "If anywhere you can let your imagination run wild it's up there, but for me it's no longer imagination. "That's the bizarre thing, it's reality now." Mr Philips is no stranger to extreme environments. As one of the world's leading polar experts, he and friend John Muir were the first Australians to ski to both the North and South Poles. When 7.30 caught up with him he had just returned from his boldest adventure to date – private space travel. Mr Philips became the first Australian to fly into space under the Australian flag as part of a chartered SpaceX mission in early April. The mission was privately funded and commanded by former Chinese national Chun Wang, a crypto billionaire, now a citizen of Malta, who Mr Philips guided on a ski trip in the Arctic Circle in 2023. "It's the most phenomenal tip a client could give me." Mr Wang purchased the chartered spaceflight from Elon Musk's SpaceX for an undisclosed figure. Mr Philips has described Mr Wang as a "denizen of the universe". "He considers himself nomadic because he travels the world, visiting every country that he can and is a Bitcoin entrepreneur, that's how he made his money in order to pay for this mission," he said. The mission, titled 'Fram2' after an early Norwegian polar research ship saw the crew become the first humans to complete an orbit of the North and South Poles. Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen and German polar scientist Rabea Rogge were also on board the 'Dragon' capsule. "It is an autonomous craft. Everything is planned by SpaceX, by ground control, mission control. It's uploaded into the system of the Dragon capsule and it will do everything from launch through to splashdown," Mr Philips said. After a year of training the crew launched from the historic Cape Canaveral in Florida on April 1. Their launch took them beyond the Kármán line, the boundary line 100 kilometres above sea-level where the atmosphere ends and outer space begins. "It's the most immersive experience you could possibly imagine." During the three-and-a-half-day mission in microgravity the crew completed 55 orbits of Earth. "You see all of Earth, all of Earth below you … you can turn around in that dome and you are seeing the entire horizon," Mr Philips said. "That feeling, I knew that would be profound in some way but I didn't know that it would affect me so emotionally. "Looking at Earth from that perch and knowing that we have a pretty rough history of treating our planet the way we do, and with the current bickering and squabbling amongst our people down on Earth, that if everyone could have the opportunity to see this incredible planet from above, I think it would give people much more perspective over their lives and how we should treat our fellow citizens and the Earth itself." While hurtling around the planet the crew conducted 22 research projects designed to pave the way for human long-haul space flight, including the first X-ray in space and the first attempt at growing mushrooms. "There's a big push at the moment to get to Mars and perhaps to build a Mars colony and for humans to inhabit that, so these research projects all contribute to this next phase of human life," Mr Philips said. Despite being in a hostile environment, Mr Philips said at no point did he feel close to death, except for when their spaceship re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. "Then you feel gravity start to take over and you are plummeting down to Earth at more than 500kph in absolute freefall," he said. After a successful splashdown off the coast of California, the crew of Fram2 accomplished one final piece of history, becoming the first astronauts to complete an 'unassisted egress', an exit of the spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance. Just days after Mr Philip's mission another group took to the sky with private space company Blue Origin, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. An all-female crew, which included his fiancee Lauren Sanchez and pop singer Katy Perry, spent 11 minutes above the Earth. Space travel is currently extremely expensive for both civil and private space agencies, but Mr Philips believes it will become more accessible. He said SpaceX is developing a craft that will take hundreds of people into space. "You can literally board that spaceship like you board an Airbus or a Boeing aircraft and fly internationally. That is in the not-too-distant future, and I can certainly see that happening," he said. "That will ultimately bring the cost down and make space travel available to a wide group of people." Now aged 62, Mr Philips said his celestial experience with SpaceX has ignited his passion for the universe. "There is no question that I look at the night sky now from a different perspective and an acute longing to be back up there, it was such an intoxicating experience," he said. "If I had the opportunity to go back tomorrow, I would take it." Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
