A UK-based startup called Pulsar Fusion is building a nuclear fusion-powered rocket named Sunbird, designed to reach speeds of up to 329,000 miles per hour. According to Business Today, this speed could cut the journey to Mars from the usual 7-9 months down to just 30 days. That's faster than any self-propelled spacecraft ever built.
Sunbird uses a Direct Fusion Drive (DFD), which mimics the energy production of stars by fusing atomic nuclei. Unlike chemical rockets, fusion propulsion offers massive energy output with minimal waste. If successful, Sunbird could even surpass NASA's Parker Solar Probe, which holds the current speed record thanks to gravitational assists.
According to TechPost, the rocket won't fly solo, it's designed to act like a space tug, attaching to larger spacecraft and boosting them across interplanetary distances. Pulsar Fusion plans to begin orbital testing by 2027, and the company envisions future applications ranging from cargo delivery and asteroid mining to deep space exploration.