The Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Fusion Research (TRINITI, Rosatom) has presented a laboratory prototype of a plasma electro-reactive rocket engine. Developed on the basis of a magneto-plasma accelerator, it has improved thrust characteristics (from 6 N) and specific impulse (from 100 km/s).
Currently, a flight to Mars on conventional engines can take almost a year in one direction, which is dangerous for astronauts due to cosmic radiation. The use of plasma engines can reduce the mission to 30-60 days, meaning it will be possible to send an astronaut to Mars and back.
Despite the successful flight of Perseverance to Mars in 2021 (more than 7 months), American space experts consider its duration unreasonable. They believe that the exploration of Mars is impossible without more powerful ion or plasma engines that surpass modern chemical ones. NASA has stated that such technologies do not yet exist, which may be a criticism of Elon Musk's idea of Martian travel at the expense of taxpayers.
Creating a prototype is one of the most important stages of the project, as it determines whether such an engine will be suitable for space "nuclear tugs" in the future, and whether it will be possible to reduce the cost of their production as a whole.
The TRINITI project is part of the Russian program for the development of atomic science and technology, which in 2025 transformed into the national project "New Atomic and Energy Technologies", aimed at technological leadership. A large experimental stand is being built in Troitsk to test the plasma rocket engine prototype and similar devices. Its central element—a vacuum chamber 4 meters in diameter and 14 meters long—is equipped with advanced vacuum pumping and cooling systems. These systems allow recreating the conditions of outer space necessary for engine testing.
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