In the bottom third of the image, the circular opening of a conical structure — a prototype lithium-fed magnetoplasmadynamic thruster — emits a red glow. Against a dark background, the red glow fills most of the top two-thirds of the image.

NASA Fires Up Powerful Lithium-Fed Thruster for Trips to Mars

A technology that could propel crewed missions to Mars and robotic spacecraft throughout the solar system was recently put to the test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. On Feb. 24, for the first time in years and at power levels exceeding any previous test in the United States, a team fired up … Continue reading NASA Fires Up Powerful Lithium-Fed Thruster for Trips to Mars

NASA