Jaw-Dropping Video Shows Concept for Fusion Rocket That Might Halve Mars Travel Time

Over the past decade, a U.K.-based nuclear propulsion startup has been working behind the scenes to develop a fusion rocket that could cut flight time to Mars in half. This week, it unveiled the concept in a striking new video. 

The Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, designed by Pulsar Fusion, would be capable of reaching 329,000 miles per hour (over 529,000 kilometers per hour), the company claims. This would make it the fastest self-propelled object ever created, drastically reducing space travel time.

Unlike current rockets that launch from terrestrial bases, Sunbirds would be stored on giant orbital docking stations each designed to host up to five at a time, Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, told Gizmodo in an email. 

In the video, one of these rockets undocks from its station and uses its eight thrusters to gently attach to a larger spacecraft (the video portrays what appears to be a SpaceX Starship upper stage), then propel it to a faraway planet. Picture a jet pack, but for spaceships. Once it reaches the destination, Sunbird detaches and docks to an awaiting station. Such a system would allow these rockets to be used again and again, carrying spacecraft to and from deep space. 

The Sunbirds’ unprecedented speed would be generated by their Dual Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD) engines, which the company claims will harness the power of nuclear fusion: the atomic process that powers the Sun and other stars. 

In theory, this type of engine could produce significantly more energy per unit of fuel than any that exist today. Pulsar Fusion says its DDFD engines are projected to produce exhaust speeds of roughly 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second).

But this technology still has a long way to go before it becomes available. The company aims to demonstrate components of its power system later this year, according to an emailed statement. The next step will be in-orbit testing, with a goal of achieving nuclear fusion in space by 2027. 

Getting the world’s first nuclear fusion rocket off the ground in just two years is a lofty goal. But Pulsar Fusion is confident that growing interest in fusion-based propulsion will drive development forward, so to speak. Indeed, the U.S. and other global spaceflight leaders have set their own ambitious timelines for missions to the Moon and Mars. 

Sunbirds could quickly deliver cargo to both destinations. Pulsar Fusion expects these rockets to be able to propel 2,200 to 4,400 pounds (1,000 to 2,000 kilograms) of commercial cargo, such as habitats, rovers, or supplies to Mars in under six months, according to the company’s website.

Sunbirds could also be used to transport probes throughout the solar system, assist asteroid mining missions, and ferry telescopes to deep space, according to Payload.

Each unit is expected to cost about $70 million upon commercial rollout, Dinan said. He believes the rocket’s hefty price tag will be tempered by its “substantial” returns, stating that customers could recoup their investment within one to two years through “active service in orbital logistics, deep space science missions, or infrastructure deployment.”

All of this hinges on rapid development and successful in-orbit testing. But if Pulsar Fusion can get its Sunbirds off the ground, our cosmic neighborhood will suddenly feel a whole lot smaller.