Pulsar Fusion has begun development of the largest fusion engine in history, which will allow rockets to reach speeds of more than 800,000 km/h

Pulsar Fusion has begun construction of the world's largest rocket engine, which will be powered by

based on thermonuclear fusion. Within four years, the British company intends to create an 8-meter combustion chamber.

What is known

The thermonuclear engine will be based on veryhot plasma trapped inside an electromagnetic field. Now scientists are working on how to keep plasma in an electromagnetic field. This was stated by James Lambert (James Lambert), CFO of the company from the UK.

Pulsar Fusion will use a supercomputerto accurately predict the behavior of plasma and find ways to control it. To do this, the company began to cooperate with the American firm Princeton Satellite Systems.

If everything works out, the temperature in the chambercombustion will reach hundreds of millions of degrees. It is believed that there will be enough energy for the rocket to reach a speed of more than 800,000 km/h. For comparison, the speed of light is approximately 1.08 billion km/h

The Pulsar Fusion project is based onDirect Fusion Drive (DFD) concepts. It involves obtaining thrust precisely from thermonuclear fusion. The key component of the DFD engine is a fusion reactor, which has the form of a cylindrical chamber with electromagnetic coils.

The chamber is filled with gas, which is necessary forthermonuclear fusion. For example, deuterium and helium-3. After starting the reaction, plasma is created inside the chamber, and to maintain it, it is necessary to ensure a continuous supply of fuel.

The substance in gaseous form is transferred to the chamber through one of the ends. Further, it should warm up and go to the nozzle through the other end, without reaching the plasma state.

Nuclear fusion will significantly reduce the time of flights between planets. This will be especially useful after the start of manned missions to Mars.