Human travel to Mars has long been the unachievable dangling
carrot for space programs. Now, astronauts could be a step closer to our
nearest planetary neighbor through a unique manipulation of nuclear fusion, the
same energy that powers the sun and stars.
University of Washington researchers and scientists at a
Redmond-based space-propulsion company are building components of a
fusion-powered rocket aimed to clear many of the hurdles that block deep space
travel, including long times in transit, exorbitant costs and health risks.