The invention of what's being called 'magic fuel' by Chinese scientists could prove to be one of history's biggest innovations when it comes to space travel, and would thoroughly trump what NASA currently has to offer.
China is known for its futuristic technological innovations on Earth, as they've outlined energy-related creations that involve a 'Solar Great Wall' and seemingly limitless energy supplies, but their latest invention could revolutionize space travel.
Currently, while trips to and from the International Space Station can take anywhere between 3 and 17 hours depending on how bumpy you want the ride to be, getting astronauts any further proves a far more challenging ordeal.
It's one of the reasons why humans have still not explored Mars, as one young astronaut has explained that a proposed NASA trip would right now take as long as six months each way to reach the red planet.
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Cutting this travel time down is an essential step in order for space agencies to explore further reaches of space, as it would give astronauts far more time on the planets themselves, and Chinese scientists might just have come up with the solution.
As reported by ECONews, China's space division has invented what's being colloquially called 'magic fuel', and would not only significantly cut down on the travel time to further away planets, but would also reduce the ballooning costs of space travel.
What is China's 'magic fuel'?
The 'magic fuel' in question involves the process of using electricity generated by plasma thrusters to ionize gas, with argon and xenon used as examples, which would then released charged and powerful particles at high speeds, thrusting the spacecraft at a faster and consistent rate.
All of this is possible through the creation of a new 'high-thrust magnetic plasma thruster', which enables a stable functioning power of 100 kilowatts. This would dramatically improve any spacecraft's ability to sustain long-distance travel towards planets like Mars, while also providing an overall faster speed.
According to the Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute, who designed the new innovative technology: "The successful ignition this time marks that the technical level of our institute's magnetic plasma engine has entered the forefront of the world."
What could China achieve with magic fuel?
Unlike traditional rocket engines currently used by NASA that rely on the process of burning fuel, magic fuel created by the newly-designed plasma thrusters is not only far more efficient, but also much faster.
Currently prototype plasma engines used by Russian space agencies have shown it would be possible to reach Mars in less than two months - which is a considerable improvement over the current times, and you'd expect it to only grow shorter with continued innovation.
The use of 3D printed parts would also cut down the cost through an increased level of durability, which would allow for the reuse of particular materials similar to what SpaceX has achieved with their Falcon 9 and Starship rockets.
Ultimately, it would make extended space travel far more accessible and achievable, and we could see China emerge victorious in the race towards Mars if this plasma engine technology proves successful in actual missions.