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

A researcher says he found a possible shortcut to Mars that would halve the time it takes to travel to the planet and back to ...

For years, nuclear propulsion sat in the same category as so many ambitious space ideas, impressive on paper, always a few ...

A researcher says he found a possible shortcut to Mars that would shorten a roundtrip to Earth's planetary neighbor to as ...

Earlier this year, rocket scientists at NASA fired up an electromagnetic thruster powered by lithium metal vapor.

When NASA announced a new Mars helicopter mission called Skyfall last week, the immediate response from most scientists had little to do with the ambitious plan to launch tiny, robotic aircraft to the ...

When your rover absolutely, positively must reach Mars on a budget, call SpaceX.

NASA plans to launch SR-1 Freedom, its first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, toward Mars before the end of 2028. The mission will test nuclear electric propulsion beyond Earth orbit, a ...

NASA has confirmed the pending launch of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosalind Franklin rover, which is being sent to Mars. The current plan is to launch via a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from ...

NASA plans to launch SR-1 Freedom, the first interplanetary spacecraft powered by a nuclear fission reactor, to Mars in December 2028. The mission will test nuclear electric propulsion and deploy a ...