Listics

The oil’s all burnt, the oxygen’s either poisoning us in it’s free radical form, or vanishing as it combines with carbon and iron all around the planet. The surface temperature is rapidly approaching that of Venus, all the water is boiling off and the ocean floors will become vast deserts, dessicated clumps of death the only sign of earth’s marvelous biodiversity… okay, that’s the bad news.

The good news is the Plasma Beam transport system will cut the passage to Mars to a mere 90 days! This is the stuff of legend. Nina, Pinta, Sanat Maria… hoo boy, look out Mars! here we come.

In fact, with magnetized-beam plasma propulsion, or mag-beam, quick trips to distant parts of the solar system could become routine, said Robert Winglee, a UW Earth and space sciences professor who is leading the project.

Currently, using conventional technology and adjusting for the orbits of both the Earth and Mars around the sun, it would take astronauts about 2.5 years to travel to Mars, conduct their scientific mission and return.

“We’re trying to get to Mars and back in 90 days,” Winglee said. “Our philosophy is that, if it’s going to take two-and-a-half years, the chances of a successful mission are pretty low.”