Lithium-fed 120 kW magnetoplasmadynamic thruster tested; may lead to less Mars transit times and payload costs for crewed missions

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-lithium-plasma-key-mars-propulsion.html

"lithium has low ionization energy/ excellent plasma characteristics, up to 90% fuel savings... pairing with space nuclear reactor for continuous thrust, potentially shortening Mars journey from 9 months to only 1 to 3 months... instead of 1 big pop at start, low-thrust, high-efficiency stays on for entire trip, constantly accelerating enabling much straighter path... NASA testing engine for 23,000 hours to make sure survives far longer than actual mission duration to ensure won't fail in middle of deep-space void"