Ion-Powered Rockets Could Take Us to Distant Planets in a Fraction of the Time

Chemical rockets got us to the moon, but we'll need something with a little more oomph to catapult us into deep space. Here are our options so far. How NASA Engineers Use Origami to Design Future Spacecraft - https://youtu.be/Ly3hMBD4h5E Read More NASA - Space Propulsion https://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/propulsion_space.html "The thruster will revolutionize the next generation of spacecraft, cutting in half some launch costs, enabling future missions to other planets, and more than doubling the weight of commercial payloads (like communications satellites) that can be transported to geostationary orbit." Antimatter to ion drives: NASA's plans for deep space propulsion https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/antimatter-ion-drives-nasas-plans-deep-space-propulsion "Ion drives, solar sails, fission and fusion ... some of the ideas for powering the next generation of spacecraft have an aura of sci-fi about them, so it can be a giddy surprise to see NASA takes them seriously too." The 123,000 MPH Plasma Engine That Could Finally Take Astronauts To Mars https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-10/123000-mph-plasma-engine-could-finally-take-astronauts-mars "His calculations showed that a spaceship using such an engine could reach 123,000 miles per hour—New York to Los Angeles in about a minute." ____________________ Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested on all the compelling, innovative and groundbreaking science happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond. Seeker explains every aspect of our world through a lens of science, inspiring a new generation of curious minds who want to know how today’s discoveries in science, math, engineering and technology are impacting our lives, and shaping our future. Our stories parse meaning from the noise in a world of ra