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 The possibility of manned mission to Mars is a step closer now a formal agreement between ANU and NASA has been signed.
The Space Act formalises cooperative efforts between the University and the U.S. space agency to develop plasma propulsion technology.
The Helicon Double Layer Thruster (HDLT) discovered by Dr Christine Charles at ANU can be powered by hydrogen — an otherwise unusable waste product in manned spacecraft.
The HDLT uses solar power and hydrogen to create plasma propulsion, which is ideal for deep space travel because of its fuel efficiencies.
Professor Rod Boswell, who leads the thruster team at the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering (RSPhysSE), says ANU staff have been helping NASA scientists improve their own plasma thruster.
“We have a fairly close relationship with NASA’s Johnson Space Centre Advanced Propulsion Laboratory. The Space Act will make it a lot easier for people from NASA to visit us and vice versa.”
NASA representative Neal Newman says the act shows that "NASA’s rocket scientists see a lot of value in working with ANU in developing advanced space propulsion systems".
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