Mars trips can be reduced to just 45 days using laser propulsion system, claims new study

As the efforts to reach Mars are reaching new levels, scientists are trying and testing new ideas that would make humans multi-planetary. Adding to the list of ideas, scientists from the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands have introduced the idea of using a laser-thermal propulsion system to reduce the time taken to reach Mars. Current estimates suggest that it would take around six to nine months to reach the red planet using the technology we have now, the experts noted in their study published in Astronomy & Astronomy.

What does the new idea suggest?

The new idea proposed by Duplay and his team talks about a spacecraft using a propulsion system where the hydrogen fuel is heated using lasers. The study says that using this technology can reduce the journey to the red planet to just 45 days. A one-way trip to Mars would take at least 100 days even using nuclear-thermal or nuclear-electric propulsion (NTP/NEP), the scientists noted. 

In an interview with Universe Today, the lead researcher Emmanuel Duplay from TU Delft said that the NASA-funded Starlight program, also known as the Directed Energy Propulsion for Interstellar Exploration (DEEP-IN), inspired him for the study. The DEEP-IN program also uses laser technology to propel a spacecraft into deep space. "We were interested in how the same laser technology could be used for rapid transit in the Solar System, which will hopefully be a nearer-term stepping stone that can demonstrate the technology", Duplay told Universe Today.

In addition to launching the Mars-bound spacecraft into space, the experts say that laser technology can also be used to bring the booster back to Earth for quick recycling. 

Challenges before the idea

While the idea sounds exciting, Duplay revealed some challenges in executing it. "The laser heating chamber is likely the most significant challenge. Can we contain hydrogen gas, our propellant, as it is being heated by the laser beam to temperatures greater than 10,000 K while at the same time keeping walls of the chamber cool?", Duplay said as per Universe Today. Adding that the idea is feasible, the scientist said that its full-scale testing is not possible since they do not have the 100 MW lasers required for the task. 

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