Sunbird: The future of the rockets is written with nuclear energy

They will be 30 meters, an “alien design” and want to halve the time to go from Earth to Mars, with half -loading stations. They are already being conceived, but have obstacles to face.

“It’s very unnatural to make nuclear fusion on Earth,” says Richard Dinan, founder and CEO of Pulsar to. “The fusion does not want to work in an atmosphere. Space is a much more logical and sensible place to mergebecause that’s where she wants to happen anyway. ”

The British company recently presented Sunbird, a bizarre rocket designed to find orbit spaceships, connect to them and transport them to their destination at an unprecedented speed of 805,000 kilometers per hour.

These objects, which can cost almost 90 million euros eachthere will be 30 meters, a thick “tank -like” armor (to resist radiation), a “super strange” look and a “design alien“Who counts it is the CEO himself, quoted by

The goal is halve the time that is currently necessary to go from Earth to Mars And make it to get to Pluto in 4 years.

Sunbird is already in the construction phase, but it still faces several challenges. However, it can Enter orbit for the first time in 2027ensures the startup. The project is funded by the UK Space Agency.

And the goal is for these devices to function even as the electric vehicles we see daily: “We launch them into space and we will have a loading station Where they can sit down and then go to your ship, ”says the CEO.

The goal is for the rocket to “turn off its inefficient combustion engines and Use nuclear fusion for most of your trip. Ideally, it would have a season somewhere near Mars and a station in the low orbit of Earth, and the Sunbirds would go back and return. ”

Hélio-3 and fusion in space

“If we can fuse on Earth, we can definitely merge in space,” says Pulsar’s CEO. The goal is, therefore, the out-of-earth fusion, using the deuterium and helium-3 as fuels. Duel Diret Fusion Drive (DDFD) engines will do the work, taking advantage of the energy of the nuclear fusion.

And yes, the startup really wants to use called helium-3 to produce protons, later used as “Nuclear exhaust” to provide propulsion, explains to CNN Richard Dinan. It may be very expensive, but would spare fuel and make the rockets lighter.

A goal that is the extraction of helium-3 from the moon. While this is not possible, the first tests will be done this year without it, since it is a Highly expensive element for its rarity on earth.

By 2027, Pulsar expects the story to be another, and that Helium-3 is a little more abundant. Dinan is optimistic: “This is feasible in every way.”