New rocket could slash Mars travel time

Nuclear propulsion and asteroid refuelling may unlock rapid deep-space travel

- Jamie Middleton

If we want to explore the farthest reaches of our Solar System, current rocket speeds are just not up to scratch. Even with our fastest engines, it's a three-year round trip to Mars – and that's our closest neighbour.

Stepping up to the plate to tackle this problem are scientists at Ohio State University. With NASA funding, they are developing a rocket which they say can cut the time it takes to get to the Red Planet by half. The key element to achieving this? Liquid uranium.