--- title: "NASA Tests Experimental Interstellar Propulsion System" description: "Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are testing if we can harness the heat of the Sun to travel to interstellar space." date: "2020-11-20" modified: "2020-11-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-tests-experimental-interstellar-propulsion-system" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "interstellar space" - "interstellar travel" - "solar electric propulsion" - "solar probe" - "the digest" --- # NASA Tests Experimental Interstellar Propulsion System ![Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are testing if we can harness the heat of the Sun to travel to interstellar space.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Going Interstellar Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are testing whether they could harness the heat of the Sun to propel a spacecraft to the far reaches of the solar system, [*Wired* reports]() — and maybe beyond it, to the interstellar wastes. According to the team working on the technology, solar propulsion is no longer a distant dream. The university's "solar simulator," a converted shipping container lined with thousands of LEDs, may have just proved that it's not as far-fetched as it sounds. "What this is showing is that solar thermal propulsion is not just a fantasy," materials scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory Jason Benjoski told *Wired*. ## Leaving the Solar System Studying what lies beyond the heliopause, the boundary beyond which the Sun's effects can longer be felt, is extremely difficult, in large part because it's just incredibly far away. The only two manmade spacecraft to have gone beyond it, Voyager 1 and 2, had to travel for close to half a century to take the first-ever peek at interstellar space. That's why NASA is working with scientists at the Applied Physics Laboratory to find new ways of propelling spacecraft at much faster speeds. The agency announced the partnership in October 2019 claiming that such a mission could be launched [as soon as 2030](). ## Too Hot That's where solar propulsion comes in. Rather than combusting fuel sources, the spacecraft could be powered by a solar thermal engine that soaks in hydrogen from the Sun, heats it, and pushes it out from a nozzle to generate thrust. Beyond the obvious design challenges of creating such an engine, a solar thermal rocket would have to get incredibly close to the Sun to gain enough speed, anywhere between 30,000 and 200,000 mph, according to *Wired*'s reporting — without melting. Only a few materials known to scientists could withstand such high temperatures and still be able to channel hydrogen, *Wired* reports. Benkoski, however, is hopeful and told *Wired* that 3D printing metal may just be the key to constructing such a heat shield. **READ MORE:** [A Solar-Powered Rocket Might Be Our Ticket to Interstellar Space]() \[*Wired*\] **More on interstellar travel:** *[NASA-Funded Scientist Claims New Thruster Could Approach Light Speed]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()