Could We Reach Mars Faster With Nuclear Fusion-Powered Rockets?

Nuclear fusion has the potential to release four times the energy of fission and could happen sooner in space than on earth. A British startup called Pulsar Fusion has unveiled a space rocket concept called Sunbird, which is designed to use nuclear fusion to carry spacecraft to their destinations at high speeds. The Sunbird rocket concept is currently in the early stages of construction and faces significant engineering challenges. Pulsar Fusion hopes to achieve fusion in orbit for the first time in 2027, with the first functional Sunbird ready four to five years later. If successful, the Sunbird could cut the journey time of a potential mission to Mars in half. The proposed Sunbird process would use helium-3 to generate protons, which can be used as a nuclear exhaust to provide propulsion without generating any dangerous radioactive material. According to Pulsar's founder and CEO, Richard Dinan, space is a more logical place to do fusion because it is a more natural environment for the process to occur. The Sunbirds would operate by meeting spacecraft in orbit, attaching to them, and carrying them to their destination using nuclear fusion, similar to how city bikes work at docking stations. Initially, the Sunbirds will be used for shuttling satellites in orbit, but their true potential would come into play with interplanetary missions, such as delivering cargo to Mars or deploying probes to Jupiter or Saturn. Other companies, including Helicity Space and General Atomics, are also working on nuclear fusion engines and reactors for space propulsion, with some planning to test their technology in space in 2027.