Page 68 - All About Space 68 - 2017 UK

Future Tech Mach propulsion

A whole lot of shaking to the stars

MACH

PROPULSION

A new NASA study is investigating a bizarre propulsion concept

"With Mach propulsion we

could reach the Moon in four
hours, Mars in five days and

Jupiter in a week!"

Nuclear power
A Mach ship would be incredibly
efficient, reusing its reactive mass
and not accelerating reserves of
fuel, but to travel into deep space
it would need a nuclear reactor to
provide enough energy.

Prospective Mach ship
The team hope to be able to use
data from the project to create an
example design study for a Mach
ship to carry a 400kg payload to Mach thrusters
Proxima Centauri (4.2 light years
As these thrusters might be
away) within 20 years flight time.
vibrating solids with no separate
parts, it may be possible to
produce large thrusts by mass-
producing tiny modules like
electronic components.
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