I’ve grown up with rockets that burn chemical fuel, but NASA’s next big leap in propulsion could make those engines look as dated as steam trains. By turning to nuclear power in space, the agency is ...

Plasma propulsion transforms an inert propellant – often hydrogen – into plasma, a superheated mix of ions and electrons.

In the relentless quest to make journeys to Mars shorter and safer, Russian scientists have recently turned heads with a bold claim: A plasma-based propulsion system could cut the Earth–Mars transit ...

MIT master’s student Taylor Hampson is advancing research into nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), thanks in part to a NASA-sponsored initiative. Nuclear propulsion could dramatically shorten travel ...

The two announcements highlight RTX’s parallel work on both air-breathing and solid rocket propulsion technologies through its businesses. RTX made two propulsion announcements on Sept. 24, 2025, ...

Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and chief executive of Venus Aerospace (right) speaks at Axios "Future of Defense" conference. Credit: Axios WASHINGTON — Rocket propulsion startup Venus Aerospace ...