Integrated Rotating Detonation Engine System (InRoDES) | Elegant Figures

As NASA advances technology for long-term exploration of the Moon and missions to Mars, one of the most challenging obstacles is propulsion, specifically, how to launch astronauts off the Martian surface for their journey home. Traditional rocket engines require massive amounts of fuel or propellant. Propellant is heavy and takes up a lot of room, which makes it challenging and expensive to design and transport for longer missions. Enabling this technology, will aid in NASA's ambitious explorati