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MISSION TO MARS: Humans could set foot on the red planet in the 2020s (Pic: GETTY STOCK)
And the space agency thinks that its new, very small nuclear reactor could fuel the trip.
The journey would take between six and nine months, depending on the position of the Earth and the red planet in their orbits.
NASA had to find a new way to propel a spacecraft for the duration of the trip to Mars.
Lee Mason, head of energy storage and energy storage, said: "Most of our current spacecraft are powered by solar panels and batteries that obviously depend on sunlight.
A NEW FRONTIER: Mars is the next step for the space agency (Pic: GETTY STOCK)
"The test showed that the reactor could do exactly what it was supposed to do on a mission"
NASA engineer Mark Gibson
"But we want to go to missions in which there is no sunlight – craters permanently shaded on the moon, the northern latitudes of Mars where sunlight is very limited."
The answer is its new system called "Kilopower", a small nuclear fission reactor that can provide up to 10,000 watts of electricity.
It was tested last May in an experiment called Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY).
Nuclear fission divides heavy metal atoms such as uranium 235 to release huge amounts of energy.
SPACE: Our solar system, not on the scale (Pic: GETTY)
The 28-hour full power test was a success.
NASA now wants to send a cargo mission to Mars in 2022, followed by its crew in 2024.
Mark Gibson, chief engineer of Kilopower, said: "The test showed that the reactor could do exactly what it had to do in the course of a mission: operate at the required power, remain stable during all operations and able to provide all the energy needed for future specific missions. "
When humans finally live in Mars, it is expected that we will have to live in very narrow neighborhoods, munching on insects and plant-based foods.
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