The first human Mars explorers won’t have it easy. Every additional day in deep space will increase their exposure to deadly ...

A prototype ion engine that uses lithium vapor as a propellant has aced its first tests, achieving 25 times more power than ...

GOCE’s sophisticated electric ion propulsion system has been switched on and confirmed to be operating normally, marking another crucial milestone in the satellite’s post-launch commissioning phase.

NASA's lithium-fed MPD thruster achieved 120 kilowatts in a recent test, marking a significant step toward faster crewed Mars ...

NASA has successfully tested a 120-kilowatt lithium-fed magnetoplasmadynamic thruster, its most powerful ion engine to date, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The technology, about 25 times stronger ...

Record power levels: NASA’s experimental MPD thruster achieved 120 kW in tests, the highest electric propulsion power level ever reached in the U.S. Mars mission potential: The lithium-fed engine ...

According to the US Department of Energy, nuclear thermal propulsion can reduce travel times to Mars by up to 25% and, more ...

CLEVELAND — A small robotic surveyor arrives to explore a near-Earth asteroid. Another robotic spacecraft is returning to Earth with a pristine comet surface sample. Meanwhile, a robotic explorer is ...

Sending an object to another star is still the stuff of science fiction. But some concrete missions could get us at least part way there. These "interstellar precursor missions" include a trip to the ...

NASA has successfully tested a magnetoplasmadynamic thruster with lithium propellant. The technology is considered key for ...