Anti-Matter Spacecraft: Could NASA’s New Propulsion System Be the Future of Interstellar Travel?

Almost everyday, astronomes are discovering new exoplanets, some of which have the potential to be inhabitable. However, the vast distances between star systems limit our space exploration to our solar system.

(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/ NASA/MSFC)

Interstellar travel is a journey that humanity has only achieved in science fiction. In movies like Star Trek, spacecraft use antimatter propulsion systems to travel at high speeds. By using this technology, humans can travel to different planets and stars more efficiently and more quickly.

What are Antimatter Spacecraft?

Antimatter refers to a highly exotic and rare form of matter which is the exact opposite of normal matter. It has the same mass as normal matter, but contains opposite charge and other subatomic particles. When antimatter and normal matter come into contact with each other, they could release a tremendous amount of energy as the particles are annihilated.

The existence of antimatter was first confirmed by Carl Anderson in 1932 when he discovered positrons. Since then, scientists have studied the potential of antimatter in establishing antimatter-based propulsion systems for interstellar travel. As Elon Musk noted, antimatter power is "the ticket for interstellar journeys".

One of the benefits of this kind of energy is that it can be used in accelerating or decelerating spacecraft at immense speeds. Just one gram of antimatter can generate an explosion which is equivalent to a nuclear bomb. This is the kind of energy that can take humanity to places that no one has gone before at record speed.

Theoretically, an antimatter engine can accelerate a spacecraft at 9.8 meters per second squared to get to Proxima, the nearest star system, in only five years. This is almost 8,000 times faster than it would take Voyager 1 to travel about half the distance. Even within our solar system, a spacecraft powered by antimatter can reach Pluto in 3.5 weeks compared to the 9.5 years it took New Horizons probe to arrive.

Despite their tremendous capabilities, antimatter engines are still not yet developed here on Earth due to the cost that comes with the technology. Physicists have made antiprotons and antihydrogen atoms using powerful particle accelerators. However, this type of antimatter is also considered as the most expensive substance on Earth.

Proposed Antimatter-Based Propulsion

Just recently, NASA announced a breakthrough in space travel by developing an antimatter propulsion system (AMS). While the technology has been around for decades, it is only now that NASA has successfully produced and stored enough antimatter particles to generate thrust.

In the paper "Antimatter-Based Propulsion for Exoplanet Exploration," Dr. Gerald P. Jackson focuses on the physics responsible for the propulsion system to work. He gave emphasis on nuclear fission and described an electrostatic nozzle and trap which is meant to carry out this nuclear process.

Aside from cost, there are other obstacles associated with this technology. It is currently difficult to store and contain the particles safely, so specialized magnetic fields must be used to contain the antimatter particles and prevent them from coming into contact with normal matter.

There are also concerns about the environmental impact of producing antimatter particles on a large scale. Despite these challenges, NASA plans to develop the technology further in the next decade and make it fully operational within 20-30 years.