NASA Fires High-Power Lithium-Fed MPD Thruster, Advancing Prospects for Human Mars Travel

On Feb. 24, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California ignited a lithium-fed magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster inside the Condensable Metal Propellant (CoMeT) vacuum facility. The prototype operated at up to 120 kilowatts—over 25 times the power of any current NASA electric thruster—and completed five ignitions, each heating the central tungsten electrode above 5,000 °F (2,800 °C).

NASA Ignites Prototype Thruster Designed to Put Humans on MarsNASA

MPD thrusters, which accelerate lithium plasma using strong electric currents and magnetic fields, have been studied by NASA since the 1960s but never flown. The test supports the Space Nuclear Propulsion project at Marshall Space Flight Center, which aims to pair megawatt-class nuclear power sources with advanced electric thrusters to reduce launch mass for deep-space missions. The design promises higher thrust at high power and better propellant efficiency than existing electric propulsion systems.

NASA Ignites Prototype Thruster Designed to Put Humans on MarsNASA

The experiment was conducted by JPL in collaboration with Princeton University and NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Senior research scientist James Polk oversaw operations within the CoMeT facility, while NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman provided agency-level commentary on the milestone.

NASA Ignites Prototype Thruster Designed to Put Humans on Mars

The thruster achieved a peak electrical input of 120 kW, producing plasma exhaust with thrust exceeding that of existing electric propulsion systems on NASA spacecraft. The central electrode reached temperatures above 5,000 °F (2,800 °C). NASA estimates a crewed Mars mission would need 2–4 MW, implying multiple thrusters operating for over 23,000 hours.

NASA Ignites Prototype Thruster Designed to Put Humans on MarsNASA

Higher-power electric propulsion could lower launch mass and increase payload capacity for cargo and crew to Mars. Demonstrating operation at 120 kW validates a technology needed for the megawatt-class nuclear electric propulsion concepts envisioned for future human exploration in deep space.

NASA Ignites Prototype Thruster Designed to Put Humans on Mars

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the test shows real progress toward sending American astronauts to the Red Planet and highlighted the agency’s commitment to strategic investments in high-power electric propulsion. He framed the achievement as a step toward integrating such thrusters with future nuclear power sources for deep-space missions.

NASA

The team identified durability as a critical issue; sustained high-power operation subjects components to extreme heat and stress. Engineers plan to raise individual thruster power toward 500 kW and eventually 1 MW while verifying hardware survivability over thousands of operating hours, targeting the cumulative 23,000 hours projected for a crewed Mars mission.

NASA Ignites Prototype Thruster Designed to Put Humans on Mars

“At NASA, we work on many things at once, and we haven’t lost sight of Mars. The successful performance of our thruster in this test demonstrates real progress toward sending an American astronaut to set foot on the Red Planet,” — Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator

NASA

“This marks the first time in the United States that an electric propulsion system has operated at power levels this high, reaching up to 120 kilowatts. We will continue to make strategic investments that will propel that next giant leap.” — Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator

NASA