Artur Davoyan, the aerospace engineer from the University of California, Los Angeles, recently proposed a pellet-beam propulsion concept that has the potential to send a large spacecraft into interstellar space. The concept, called ‘pellet-beam’ propulsion, was awarded an initial US$175,000 NASA grant for further development earlier this year. Today’s chemical-based rockets are just not fast enough to carry us far beyond our solar system within any reasonable timeframe. The pellet-beam concept was partially inspired by the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, which is working on a ‘light-sail’ propulsion system. For successful operation, the conceptual propulsion system requires two spacecraft: one that takes … Continue reading NASA Grants $175k for Pellet-beam Propulsion Research for Interstellar Travel