Click here for the Vasimir website
VASIMR
PM introduces a new ion plasma rocket under development by former astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz. Employing his company’s Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) system, the rocket could theoretically travel from Earth to Mars in less than 40 days, using a tiny amount of fuel and saving hundreds of millions of dollars.
Watch the video to find out more…
Image credit: Ad Astra Rocket Company
Video credit: Brink, Science Channel, Discovery
Related material: Read “Remarkable machines” in the October 2009 issue of Popular Mechanics – on sale now!