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NASA Thinks This Investment Will Be The Key To Sending a Human To Mars

NASA has long been interested in using solar and electric power in its spacecraft. Its most recent investment hopes to revolutionize solar electric rocket engines.

NASA Thinks This Investment Will Be The Key To Sending a Human To Mars

[DIGEST: Space.com, NASA]

When propelling a spacecraft into the cosmos, there are two main factors to consider: power and longevity. Most of NASA’s current missions prioritize power: getting to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and back doesn’t require an engine to push the spacecraft continuously forward for long, and the majority of NASA’s current work remains in LEO. In a move toward engines that supply gentler thrust for a longer time, NASA has recently awarded a $67 million contract to Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop an advanced solar electric propulsion (SEP) system for rocket engines.

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