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Dear Sara,

Are any of the propulsion systems used in science fiction books and films actually used to power space craft in the real world?

Jennie from D.C.


Dear Jennie,

We don’t have warp drive, nor can we travel through worm holes, at least not yet, but ion engines have been in use by NASA for a long time. Maybe they aren’t as “sexy” as the ones used in novels but they are making robotic exploration of our solar system a reality. What is really exciting is how close we are to creating an antimatter rocket. With antihydrogen containment units it could theoretically achieve 92 percent of light speed. Even if humans are too delicate to be passengers and crew it would enable travel to other star systems they can send machines to explore and report back.

propulsion systems, science fictionIt’s In The Bag,
Sara Bellum, Editor-at-Large Buzzy Mag