A UK company has tested a high-power chemical rocket engine that is capable of launching humans and satellites into space.
Pulsar Fusion, a nuclear fusion company based in Bletchley, south-east England, carried out static tests on the engine, firing it into full thrust to measure performance.
The company’s long-term goal is to produce hyper-speed propulsion engines powered by nuclear fusion technologies for interplanetary travel that could cut the journey to Mars by half.
On Sunday, Pulsar Fusion released video footage of the static test.
“We are delighted with the UK test firings at Cotec [a Ministry of Defence military base in Salisbury, south-west England]. It is a hugely significant moment and we are proud this rocket is built in the UK. To have a British rocket test on UK soil is novel,” said Richard Dinan, chief executive of the company.
“We have a team of fantastic scientists with a wealth of experience to thank for these milestones. We have also drawn talent from some of the UK’s top universities who have begun working with and testing our plasma thrusters at campus facilities.
“We are extremely proud of these achievements and look forward to expanding our network with the British and European space community with our hardware demonstration later this month in Switzerland.”
The test engines produced a thrust of about 10 kilonewtons, but after the success of its static tests, the company will build a 100kN engine.
The company is among a few in the world that aims to produce hyper-speed propulsion engines using nuclear fusion technology.
To achieve propulsion powered by nuclear fusion, the rocket engine would have to create and survive a temperature that exceeds 100,000,000°C.
If successful, the technology would revolutionise space exploration and allow interplanetary missions to be completed far more quickly. The journey to Mars would be halved.
Nuclear fusion-powered engines could travel at more than 80,000 kilometres per hour.
The Space Launch System – Nasa’s nascent rocket to carry astronauts to the Moon – would be able to go as fast as 39,429kph, when it is ready.
Pulsar hopes to develop nuclear fusion propulsion engines for static demonstration by 2025.
By 2027, the company wants to manufacture, launch and test the engine in orbit.
Upcoming spaceports in Scotland - in pictures
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
RESULT
Kolkata Knight Riders 169-7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals 144-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata win by 25 runs
Next match
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 5.30pm
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
