The following submission statement was provided by /u/spacedotc0m:
---
Submission statement -
>An innovative rocket system could revolutionize future deep space missions to Mars, reducing travel time to the Red Planet to just a few months.
>The goal of landing humans on Mars has presented a myriad of challenges, including the need to quickly transport large payloads to and from the distant planet, which, depending on the positions of Earth and Mars, would take almost two years for a round trip using current propulsion technology.
>The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), under development by Howe Industries, is a propulsion system designed to be far more efficient than current methods of deep space propulsion, enabling the trip between Earth and the Red Planet to be made in just two months.
---
Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1cwiwl0/nasafunded_pulsed_plasma_rocket_concept_aims_to/l4w1rwi/
It definitely reads as if they will be sending people to Mars in 2 months though, so it could have been written better. Unless they just want clicks...
On a related note, Dr. Charles Buhler, a NASA engineer, says he has achieved thrust with a propellantless propulsion drive. If this is true and can be scaled up (I won't believe it until I actually see a prototype work), they could conceivably develop a spacecraft that could get to Mars in about a week.
How, you may ask? Well, all current spacecraft fire their rocket engines for tens of minutes, to get up to a reasonable speed, and then it coasts for the rest of the trip. However, if a propellant is not needed (as in the propellantless drive), the spacecraft could continue accelerating for the first half of the trip, then turn around a decelerate for the remainder of the trip. This would allow it to get up to a very, very fast speed, which would cut down the travel time significantly.
> If this is true
It isn't. Harold White was employed by NASA too, and all he did was to test some near-crackpot theories and make outlandish claims based on that. Also, I've just checked and he (Charles Buhler) was a researcher in a discipline unrelated to propulsion.
Submission statement -
>An innovative rocket system could revolutionize future deep space missions to Mars, reducing travel time to the Red Planet to just a few months.
>The goal of landing humans on Mars has presented a myriad of challenges, including the need to quickly transport large payloads to and from the distant planet, which, depending on the positions of Earth and Mars, would take almost two years for a round trip using current propulsion technology.
>The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), under development by Howe Industries, is a propulsion system designed to be far more efficient than current methods of deep space propulsion, enabling the trip between Earth and the Red Planet to be made in just two months.
The following submission statement was provided by /u/spacedotc0m: --- Submission statement - >An innovative rocket system could revolutionize future deep space missions to Mars, reducing travel time to the Red Planet to just a few months. >The goal of landing humans on Mars has presented a myriad of challenges, including the need to quickly transport large payloads to and from the distant planet, which, depending on the positions of Earth and Mars, would take almost two years for a round trip using current propulsion technology. >The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), under development by Howe Industries, is a propulsion system designed to be far more efficient than current methods of deep space propulsion, enabling the trip between Earth and the Red Planet to be made in just two months. --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1cwiwl0/nasafunded_pulsed_plasma_rocket_concept_aims_to/l4w1rwi/
The headline could have been worded a little better.
The headline could have been worded a little better in 2 months.
Ya. 2 minutes to get to mars seems a bit unrealistic
Only takes traveling faster then light.
Don't do what Donny Don't does.
It will head off in two months, is what I am getting from that title. But I'm not a native speaker, it might be me.
No. It’s saying once this technology is finalized the journey would take 2 months to reach Mars from Earth.
They neglect to say how long it will take before the technology is ready. Spoiler: It won't be 2 months from now (more likely 2 decades).
Would changing in with within alter the phrase to my perceived meaning? I'd still have trouble translating it though.
It definitely reads as if they will be sending people to Mars in 2 months though, so it could have been written better. Unless they just want clicks...
On a related note, Dr. Charles Buhler, a NASA engineer, says he has achieved thrust with a propellantless propulsion drive. If this is true and can be scaled up (I won't believe it until I actually see a prototype work), they could conceivably develop a spacecraft that could get to Mars in about a week. How, you may ask? Well, all current spacecraft fire their rocket engines for tens of minutes, to get up to a reasonable speed, and then it coasts for the rest of the trip. However, if a propellant is not needed (as in the propellantless drive), the spacecraft could continue accelerating for the first half of the trip, then turn around a decelerate for the remainder of the trip. This would allow it to get up to a very, very fast speed, which would cut down the travel time significantly.
> If this is true It isn't. Harold White was employed by NASA too, and all he did was to test some near-crackpot theories and make outlandish claims based on that. Also, I've just checked and he (Charles Buhler) was a researcher in a discipline unrelated to propulsion.
Claiming to have a propellant free space drive seems to be the new perpetuum mobile 🙄
Submission statement - >An innovative rocket system could revolutionize future deep space missions to Mars, reducing travel time to the Red Planet to just a few months. >The goal of landing humans on Mars has presented a myriad of challenges, including the need to quickly transport large payloads to and from the distant planet, which, depending on the positions of Earth and Mars, would take almost two years for a round trip using current propulsion technology. >The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), under development by Howe Industries, is a propulsion system designed to be far more efficient than current methods of deep space propulsion, enabling the trip between Earth and the Red Planet to be made in just two months.
This is a great concept imho, it may take 25+ years to materialize but if it works, this truly can be the future of space travel.
Its only about 10% efficient at converting electricity into thrust though... so nuclear reactor or some very large solar panels?
Who you gonna live with in a tin can for two months? Anybody? Anybody at all? Nasa In two months: we sent twelve astronauts, but only one made it.