Posted on 08/07/2025 11:00:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
Russian scientists say they’ve built a new kind of engine that could cut the trip to Mars down to just one month. A working prototype already exists, and it’s unlike anything currently used in space.
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Russia’s New Plasma Engine. Credit: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel
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A new propulsion system developed by Russian scientists is generating buzz in the spaceflight community. According to researchers from Rosatom’s Troitsk Institute, a laboratory-tested magnetoplasma engine could make it possible to travel from Earth to Mars in as little as one to two months—a significant leap from today’s six- to nine-month missions.
Continuous Acceleration, Not Combustion
At the center of this technology is a plasma propulsion system that abandons conventional fuel combustion. Instead, it uses electromagnetic fields to accelerate hydrogen ions—charged particles like protons and electrons—to speeds of 100 kilometers per second (about 360,000 km/h). For comparison, most chemical rockets top out at around 4.5 km/s due to fuel burn limitations.
“The working body is charged particles that are accelerated by an electromagnetic field. This makes it possible to achieve much higher speeds,” said Alexei Voronov, first deputy general director for science at the Troitsk Institute, speaking to Izvestia.
Magnetoplasma Propulsion System - Image Credit: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov
This kind of engine works on continuous thrust. Unlike current rockets that provide an initial push and then coast, this plasma engine keeps accelerating steadily. That means shorter travel times and less time spent in deep space radiation—a major concern for long-duration crewed missions.
Built and Already Being Tested
What makes this project different from others in development is that a working prototype already exists. Researchers have constructed a test unit and are running it inside a massive vacuum chamber—4 meters wide and 14 meters long—that mimics outer space conditions. The engine operates in a pulse-periodic mode, running at 300 kilowatts of power.
The current system has shown an operational lifespan of 2,400 hours, enough for a round trip to Mars under the proposed design. “The main goal of the project is to demonstrate the operation of the prototype in pulse-periodic mode,” said Konstantin Gutorov, the project’s scientific advisor.
Magnetoplasma Propulsion System - Image Credit: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov
A space-ready version is planned for release in 2030, and will not replace traditional launch vehicles. Instead, it would kick in after the spacecraft reaches orbit, allowing the plasma engine to handle the journey through interplanetary space.
Hydrogen: Abundant, Light, and Efficient
The choice of hydrogen as a fuel source is intentional. It’s the lightest and most abundant element in the universe, allowing for high acceleration with minimal consumption. More importantly, the design doesn’t require high plasma temperatures, reducing heat stress on engine parts and improving longevity.
The engine’s 6 newtons of thrust may not sound like much, but it’s actually the highest among plasma-based propulsion projects currently in development. That’s because plasma engines prioritize efficiency over brute force, trading raw power for steady, long-term acceleration and deceleration—essential for interplanetary missions.
Magnetoplasma Propulsion System - Image Credit: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov
Power for the engine would likely come from a nuclear reactor onboard the spacecraft, which introduces some engineering and safety challenges, but also provides the sustained energy needed for continuous operation.
How It Stacks up Against Today’s Tech
Plasma propulsion isn’t new. Russian plasma thrusters are already used in systems like the OneWeb satellite constellation and NASA’s Psyche probe. Those engines typically achieve particle exhaust speeds of 10 to 50 km/s. The new engine claims to double that range, placing it far ahead of current technology, if the results can be independently verified.
“This development is ahead of the curve,” said Nathan Eismont of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who emphasized that Russian-made plasma engines are already flying on international missions.
Of course, this doesn’t mean a Mars trip is right around the corner. The system hasn’t been reviewed in independent scientific journals, and its integration into a complete space mission has yet to be demonstrated. But the prototype’s existence and ongoing testing signal real momentum, not just theoretical speculation.
In recent years I have been reading about the history of technology. Russians play a very large role in technological advancement. The only place that doesn’t is Africa.
“I seem to remember a couple years ago they invented a nuclear engine that was supposed to change everything. When they touched it off it blew up, killed a bunch of top scientists, and irradiated the whole area. We haven’t heard much about that since so I’m not holding my breath about this “game changer”.”
That was a nuclear powered ramjet cruise missile the 9M730 Burevestnik. They claim to have had a successful test flight in October 2023 the radiation sniffers went up to see what the exhaust plume had in it giving an idea of the fuel type and reactor spectrum used. The results of those flights is still classified but it caused a stir in the MIC community so take what you will from that.
We had project Pluto in the 1970s it worked back then it just leaves a toxic radioactive plume everywhere it flys so the USA abandoned it for Trident subs. The weapon itself is a radiological weapon leaving a 1000+ REM fallout trail over it’s flight path than when it drops it last warhead it kamikaze into a final target area scattering a whole reactors worth of melting down fuel that cannot be turned off this is most assuredly a fast spectrum reactor and no moderator to scatter only PU or HEU that’s melting down by design as it fly and crashes. It’s a nasty weapon one the USA saw as too dirty to even think of using. They could spike the fuel with cobalt and make for even more of a rad trail one with long lived hard gramma rays truly diabolical killing machines.
“The only place that doesn’t is Africa.”
Average sub Saharan IQ is under 80 that is quantifiable data for those not blinded by racial ideology.
Russians are Caucasians and actual Asians both have 100-105 average IQ
The NERVA engine is also old research where they learned that nuclear engines were quite undesirable.
Sounds like fun.
Magneto unites with the Crimson Dynamo.
Love tech, especially space
Wish I was 15yo not 70
Comments about low thrust are valid but I don’t think any single country or company can finance a Mars mission.
My vision is a moon station/mining operation to generate the wealth to visit Mars.
Current engine tech n rocket tech will get us to the moon, then I envision this engine, w NO moon gravity, taking us to Mars.
I don’t have the great vision of Alex Jones /S Off
But my crystal ball works really good.
What kind of G forces are the passengers going to encounter during the accel/decel phases?
Very very little, given the thrust of that engine.
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