NASA system could take man to Mars on 1 tank of fuel

NASA engineers are testing the high-power solar electric propulsion systems that could soon push exploration missions further into deep space. A stunning new image from the agency's Glenn Research Center shows a Hall thruster ahead of ground testing in a vacuum chamber. The device is said to have three times the power of existing systems, and the experiments in the vacuum chamber will put it to the test of a simulated space environment, allowing engineers to see how it performs. NASA engineers are testing the high-power solar electric propulsion systems that could soon push exploration missions further into deep space. A stunning new image from the agency's Glenn Research Center shows a Hall thruster ahead of ground testing in a vacuum chamber In the image, NASA engineer Dr Peter Peterson can be seen preparing the high-power thruster – a device that the agency says is'critical' in the future of deep space exploration.