Star potential

Fusion propulsion has been the space industry’s Holy Grail ever since it was first proposed in the late-1950s. The idea of interplanetary craft crewed by earthlings whooshing through space is so appealing to an industry that prides itself on breaching frontiers that protagonists for the technology have remained despite a paucity of projects for turning the dream into reality. The indications are, however, that the fusion propulsion bandwagon is now gathering momentum.

NASA says that to fulfil its plans to send a crewed craft to Mars it might consider a fusion-powered spacecraft. Next month ESA will publish its first study into the feasibility of open magnetic fusion propulsion. And experiments are being conducted in Russia, the US and Japan that could pave the way for investigating the technology’s use for space travel.

‘Interest has never been higher in fusion propulsion than it is now,’ said Francesco Romanelli of the nuclear fusion division at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies (ENEA) in Rome. ‘There's a fighting chance that we’ll see some kind of demonstration within maybe 30 years.’