Space Thruster Fueled By Space Air Planned For Mars Mission

With SpaceX dominating the headlines, it’s often easy to forget that there are other space agencies out there, including the European Space Agency. The ESA is planning a mission to Mars in 2020 when a Russian Proton rocket will potentially be using an ion thruster that will enable astronauts to go on longer missions by using space air as fuel.

The mission is expected to last nine months, Tech Times reports, with the rocket heading straight to the red planet. The rocket will be carrying a rover, which is intended to find out if there is life on Mars.

With regards to the thruster itself, the ESA’s team of engineers managed to successfully pull off a test that will use particles in the air to produce a thrust. While on Mars, it will use the planet’s carbon dioxide. In space, it will use whatever gas particles are available to provide the spacecraft it’s attached to with near unlimited power.

This kind of technology doesn’t just apply to rockets going to other planets either. It could also be used for satellites and space stations orbiting the Earth.

It’s worth pointing out, however, that the thruster isn’t actually fully operational yet and is still in development stage, Value Walk reports. The ESA has provided no official confirmation that the thruster would be used during the 2020 Mars mission either.

If it is used, it could pave the way for future space endeavors that could allow humans to colonize other planets and moons much more effectively. With current rocket thruster technology, a lot of energy is lost both in actually launching the spacecraft and then getting it to its intended destination.

As it is, space travelers would be highly dependent on extremely precise mathematical calculations, many of which have not even been invented yet to accurately land on Mars. With the ion thruster, it will be so much easier.