Magnets already play a major role in space exploration, as discussed in an earlier blog post. But further developments in magnet technology have the potential to make space travel and study even easier. Already a promising material in the field of energy conservation, magnets may also improve spacecraft launch, help spaceships fly in formation, and get humans to Mars faster than we thought possible.

Planes, Trains, and Spaceships

Presently, we use chemical rocket launches to leave Earth and enter space. This expensive method could be replaced by a track embedded with permanent magnets. Just as with Maglev trains, the magnets would eliminate friction allowing for high speeds with little fuel. There are few theories on how to accomplish launch using magnetic forces. One estimates a 5 mile track would be sufficient while another claims a 1000 mile track is necessary. Either way, once functional, these methods would significantly reduce the cost of launch.

Flying in Formation

Some researchers believe spacecrafts can use electromagnetics to fly in formation. A system of superconducting wires creates a magnetic field around each spaceship. The wires can rotate changing the direction of the magnetic poles. With multiple crafts in flight, they can each direct their poles to attract or repel each other to fly in formation. Researchers at MIT’s Space Systems Laboratory have some videos to demonstrate how this flight formation would work.

Shuttle to Mars

Mars is the next step in the space race, according to most people. At the moment, our best method for traveling to Mars would take three years and the astronauts would be exposed to potentially lethal amounts of cosmic radiation along the way. Franklin Chang Diaz, a physicist and former astronaut, is developing a plasma engine capable of shortening the travel time to Mars to about three months. The engine uses extremely powerful magnets to contain plasma in a tiny space forcing the atoms to fuse releasing energy. Chang Diaz created a magnetic nozzle to regulate the release of energy to propel a craft forward. His method of propulsion would be significantly faster than the current methods in use and the trip to Mars could be completed in 39 days instead of 6 weeks. Magnets have a promising future in space travel and exploration. We already use magnets extensively, especially when studying the magnetic fields of Earth and the other planets in our solar system. How do you think magnets can be used in future study of the final frontier?