NASA to test nuclear rockets that could fly astronauts to Mars
NASA will test nuclear-powered rockets that could fly astronauts to Mars by as soon as 2027.
The agency plans to develop a pioneering propulsion system for space travel different to the chemical systems currently used.
“The point is that there’s kind of a limit to what you can do with normal chemical propulsion,” astrophysicist Brad Tucker told Laurel, Gary & Mark.
“There’s a limit to how much fuel you can store onboard because … if you want more power, essentially, you need more fuel but adding more fuel adds more weight.
“What they’re kind of looking at doing is saying, ‘Can we generate it on the go?'”
Press PLAY below to hear how nuclear-powered rockets could change space travel
Image: NASA/JPL via Getty Images