Mars has been a long-shot target for NASA and various space researchers around the world who believe that the Red Planet could be a potential human colony in the future. Now, the theoretical travel time for humans to reach Mars, according to NASA’s calculations, is around 9 months with the minimum distance between Earth and Mars being 54.6 million km. However, engineers from Canada have devised a new laser-propulsion system that claims to reduce the travel time to just 45 days. Let’s take a look at the details.
Humans Can Reach Mars in 45 Days: Study
A team of researchers and engineers from Montreal’s McGill University say that they have devised a new laser-propulsion-based spacecraft that could take humans from Earth to Mars in just over six weeks. The researchers suggest a directed-energy propulsion system using large lasers based on Earth to jet-shot a spacecraft from Earth to Mars in the said time.
Using the system, the researchers say they will be able to accelerate a spacecraft very quickly near Earth using the lasers. These laser beams move the spacecraft into deeper space at a speed, which is comparable to the fraction of the speed of light. Following the acceleration, the spacecraft will reach Mars over the next month.
“The application of directed energy to spacecraft mission design is explored using rapid transit to Mars as the design objective. An Earth-based laser array of unprecedented size (10 m diameter) and power (100 MW) is assumed to be enabled by ongoing developments in photonic laser technology,” reads the research paper published by the McGill University engineers.
While the main vehicle will land on the Red Planet in 45 days, the rest of the spacecraft will return to Earth to be recycled for the next launch.
“A phased-array laser of this size and incorporating atmospheric compensation would be able to deliver laser power to spacecraft in cislunar space, where the incident laser is focused into a hydrogen heating chamber via an inflatable reflector. The hydrogen propellant is then exhausted through a nozzle to realize specific impulses of 3000s. The architecture is shown to be immediately reusable via a burn-back maneuver to return the propulsion unit while still within range of the Earth-based laser,” it further adds.
For those who don’t know, this reduced travel time can be achieved using nuclear fission-powered rockets but that has radiation risks. This new system appears to solve this problem.
Although this sounds like a feasible system to reach Mars or even explore other deep-space areas of our universe, the spacecraft to test out this theory currently does not exist.
While Elon Musk thinks that humans would be able to reach Mars in the next six years, NASA and China aim to send humans to the Red Planet by the 2030s. So, we can expect researchers and engineers to develop and build a spacecraft that would support the laser-based directed-energy propulsion system and work on this tech. What do you think about this? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Comments
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Let us,first,make air travel on earth safer and probably faster!
This is only science fiction.
How the himan body withstand the so much acceleratio for a period of 45 days even with more sophisticated space suit.
How do they get back if the laser array is on earth?
SOS this is earth calling WW3 has started one way ticket to mars for sale armageddon out of here .
If you think that Mars is a better planet to live on, how about considering that you will be much, much closer to the asteroid belt. Good luck! Paula
Saving time and fuel on outward trip only still means saving fuel, time, and expendables. Savings is savings. Might make the difference between doable and impractical.
If built on moon’s surface no atmospheric compensation would be necessary.
Even if Mars existed and we could go there, do we humans really want to destroy another planet. We are a very destructive species. Concentrate on putting earth right and alleviating suffering, that would be a more honourable thing to do.
This is the moment where humanity will look back in the area of space travel as Historical moment. Kudos to the team. As the comman term there will be the. Beam me up.. And instead of colonizing Mars, we should first do that on Moon
Why are we in such a rush to destroy another planet ..we haven’t even completely ruined this one yet .
Regardless of the propulsion system how to stay alive is more the point I think. Colonisation and subsequent terraforming are thought provoking. Kim Stanley Robinson wrote an epic trilogy about the colonisation and terraforming of the red planet. Check it out, well researched and completely engaging.
This is not anything that is new! I have been reading about a Earth based laser propulsion system sence the 1970. Currently we lack the technology to exist in outer space beyond earth’s low orbit for any lengthy time period, (mars included). Although our mach. (AI) seams to be doing a great job! We as a race of humans we have to remain patient, keep science in the forefront(as Mr E. Musk is doing and others) an try not to destroy this wonderful place an each other so fast and let our science continue . eventually we will have portable Fusion and shielding any moxie (portable air!!!!! We as humans can get there!
That would be traveling TO Mars but obviously will not work for the return journey as there will be no laser system on Mars to propel a space craft back to Earth.
To tell you the truth 8 to 9 months doesnt seem to be that long to get to mars?!, i dont know why everybody has a heart attack about that time difference?! Time goes by really fast these days and its way better than 8 to 9 years travel?! But this lazer technology doesnt sound too bad, just build the damn space craft and stop all this worry about cost and time and other factors! Let god worry about it and do it darn it!!
My only concern is Particles floating around in space. What happens should a space craft hit a small pebble or larger size space rock at this high speed. Will it withstand the impact? And hopefully not a Cluster of space rock. Also I don’t know if Flying Saucers are real but They sure have the Best Design so far For Skimming Through Debris At Higher Speed
With the plan of colonizing mars we should also focus on reducing population to 2 billion in upcoming next 100 years ……
I think it’s fantastic….the fact that we could colonize Mars is just incredible…another planet for our kind!! This is where our energies should be focused, not fighting with each other!!! Thank you to the scientists who working on our brilliant future!
That’s the spirit 🙏
Actually a better solution would be to make this planet more habitable in the future. On Mars you’d be forever ‘imprisoned’ in a claustrophobic pressure suit whenever you left the claustrophobic confines of a structure. No beautiful outdoors environment, only a starkly barren and inhospitable red dust and rock ‘landscape.’ I know this sounds pessimistic but it is absolutely true; in short order after making yourself ‘at home,’ you’d surely start missing Earth 🙂
I agree. Completely we shots be so beyond war and other such savage behavior. I am grateful for those people who care about the advancement of everyone not about petty self serving things that will only bring destruction and demise its truly restoring my faith in mankind. THANK YOU TO THE PEACE SEEKERS !!!!
Ready to go now!!
What happened to the guy that said he can build a spacecraft that will go from the Earth to the moon in 1 second and can reach Mars in 15 minutes what happened to that guy
He’s probably the leader of Russia now
How do they slow down?
That’s what I’m thinking.
They could have thrusters when entering Mars’ gravity, or they could keep the shuttle in low orbit and deploy from there a lot of different options
They perform an aerobraking in Mars high atmosphere, to reduce speed enough to stay in orbit.
Landing becomes a payload mission.
It sounds better than chemical propulsion and would probably be cheaper too since you’d be shipping less fuel. I wonder how atmospheric conditions might affect its reliability / performance.
The laser array operates at 1micron wavelength, infrared, atmosphere is transparent to it.
Price of fuel.is going to keep us mostly at home. Covid hasn’t helped!
Agree can go to Mars in 45 days how about return it will still be 500 days the spacecraft which shoots laser will return back to earth there will be only main aircraft in Mars…
Initially sending cargo to Mars, one ton at a time, with zero braking at 8gs for a few minutes. Eventually a similar system, less powerful, could be set up to catch incoming payloads, brake, send back another payload to Earth.
Beam me up Scott ready to leave earth for a better place
I like,it. Sounds brilliant,just have it, the power supply in a portable configuration so you could just strap it on to any type of platform starship or cargo ship and move things baby.
Power supply in portable configuration? This is a 100MW beam, requiring a conventional earth bound powerplant, e.g. nuclear. Also cheaper to operate from the ground.
So Dr Evil had it right with the “giant laser beam”?
Different indeed but speculation is indeed needed if the Chinese are to be backed off..Why not involve our most brilliant students in this enterprise and allow some freedom of expression….
Who will go
duh you of course, who else…