It has been the dream of most men to visit Mars and see the beauty of the Red Planet.Those who have been dreaming of this now has the chance to make it a reality, thanks to NASA.
Recent science innovations maybe the answer to the biggest obstacle of not allowing men to the Red Planet: the long journey. According to NASA scientists, the innovation has something to do with propulsion.
At present, the journey to Mars could reach up to five months. On the other hand, with a system known as "photonic propulsion" a shuttle carrying astronauts could arrive in a month. However, NASA reveals that a lightweight robotic craft could travel the same distance in three days.
Philip Lubin, a scientist at Nasa, states that the system is more or less a giant laser designed to push spacecraft to incredible speeds.
Wired states the following: "Though particles of light have no mass, they do have energy and momentum -- and it's this energy that, when reflected off an object, is transferred into a push. With a large, reflective sail it would be 'possible to generate enough momentum to accelerate a spacecraft' via lasers pulsing light from the surface of the Earth."
This technology could also save fuel and other expenses, thus saving money.
Lubin explained that "Electromagnetic acceleration is only limited by the speed of light while chemical systems are limited to the energy of chemical processes."
However, Lubin says there is more research that needs to be done. Meaning to size, this could take long before this idea to materialize.
On the other hand, Ryan Weed also detailed his plans to create an "antimatter rocket." This rocket could "loop Earth in three seconds" and has the ability to reach the Red Planet in weeks. Furthermore, the rocket has the capacity to power spacecraft with "annihilation."
