A team from NASA’s Laboratório of Propulsão to Jato (JPL), in partnership with researchers from Universidade of Princeton and Centro Glenn at Cleveland, successfully fired a prototype electric thruster 25 times more powerful than any previously tested on the Estados Unidos. The magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) system operated at power levels reaching 120 kilowatts, surpassing all electric thrusters currently in operation on the agency’s spacecraft. The breakthrough marks a decisive step towards future human missions to Marte.
Testing took place in February 2026 at JPL’s Condensable Metal Propellant (CoMeT) Vacuum Facility, a unique national laboratory capable of safely testing systems using metal vapor propellants. The prototype used lithium metal vapor as propellant and reached temperatures exceeding 2,800 degrees Celsius on the tungsten electrode during the five ignitions carried out.
Tecnologia that works beyond expectations
The MPD thruster differs from conventional electrical systems by using high electrical currents to interact with a magnetic field and electromagnetically accelerate the lithium plasma. Essa innovative approach generates significant and continuous thrust, without relying exclusively on solar energy as with previous generations of electric thrusters.
James Polk, senior research scientist at JPL, highlighted the importance of the result. “Not only did we show that the propellant works, but we also achieved the power levels we had as a goal.” The data collected provides researchers with a solid foundation to face the challenges of scaling up production. The construction and design of the prototype took two years of intense work.
MPD technology is not new. Researchers have been studying it since the 1960s but have never operated at such high powers in the Estados Unidos. A crucial aspect of the development was that the lithium-powered propellant had “never flown operationally” prior to these tests, making this a genuine milestone for aerospace engineering.
Eficiência revolutionary compared to conventional rockets
Electric thrusters offer a substantial economic and technical advantage over traditional chemical rockets. Segundo the JPL team, these systems can use up to 90% less propellant than the high-power rockets used to escape Earth’s gravity. Essa drastic reduction in fuel consumption significantly reduces the cost of space missions.
Electric propulsion works on a fundamentally different principle than chemical engines. Instead of burning fuel to generate immediate thrust, it collects energy and uses it to accelerate small amounts of ionized propellant. Essa slow, continuous expulsion of gas produces a persistent thrust that, given enough time, reaches speeds much higher than conventional rockets. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, equipped with less powerful electric thrusters, has already demonstrated this capability by traveling at more than 200,000 kilometers per hour using a small but constant force.
The researchers say lithium-powered MPD thrusters have the potential to operate at high power levels, use propellant with remarkable efficiency, and provide significantly greater thrust than systems in operation today. Combinados with a nuclear power source, these thrusters could reduce the spacecraft’s launch mass and sustain the payloads needed to carry humans to Marte.
Desafios technicals and next steps
The team identified an important obstacle: the high temperatures emitted by MPD thrusters during operation require components capable of withstanding thermal extremes. Providing suitable robust materials will be “a crucial challenge” in the coming years of development.
The researchers set ambitious new goals:
- Atingir powers between 500 kilowatts and 1 megawatt per propeller
- Desenvolver materials that can withstand temperatures exceeding 2,800 degrees Celsius
- Garantir continuous operation for more than 23 thousand hours
- Integrar multiple thrusters on a single spacecraft
- Incorporar nuclear power supplies for Marte missions
A manned mission to Marte would require between 2 and 4 megawatts of energy to reach the planet in a viable time. Para meets this demand, the final spacecraft can incorporate multiple MPD thrusters operating simultaneously for more than 23 thousand hours almost three years without interruption.
Posicionamento as a strategic priority
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman called the test a historic “first.” “This is the first time on the Estados Unidos that an electric propulsion system operates at such high power levels,” he said. The test is part of the agency’s Propulsão Nuclear Espacial (SNP) program, an initiative that consolidates the exploration of advanced technologies for future missions.
Isaacman reaffirmed NASA’s commitment to the long-term goal of sending an American astronaut to Marte. “At NASA, we’re working on many things at once and we haven’t lost sight of Marte making strategic investments that will drive this next big leap forward.” The successful trial demonstrates “real progress” toward this ambitious goal.
The history of electric propulsion at NASA dates back to the Dawn and Deep Space-1 missions, where researchers like James Polk applied knowledge to propulsion systems. Aquela experience provided the technical basis necessary for the development of the lithium-powered MPD thrusters now tested.