NASA’s helium-3 fusion rocket
Is it possible to travel outside the solar system? For decades, science fiction writers and space enthusiasts have imagined humans traveling to other star systems, exploring alien worlds, and establishing new civilizations. However, the vast distances between stars, the challenges of sustaining life in space, and the limitations of current propulsion technologies have made interstellar travel a daunting and distant dream. But what if there was a way to make it feasible? NASA’s helium-3 fusion rocket could be a game-changer in this regard. Helium-3, a rare isotope of helium that is abundant on the moon but scarce on Earth, has the potential to provide a nearly limitless source of clean and safe energy through nuclear fusion. By fusing two helium-3 nuclei together, a process that releases a tremendous amount of energy and no radioactive waste, a spacecraft could achieve speeds of up to 10% of the speed of light, enabling it to reach nearby star systems in a matter of decades,...