When a matter particle comes into contact with an antimatter particle, they annihilate each other and produce kinetic energy. For example, protons and antiprotons have the same mass, but opposite electrical charges. They have nearly identical properties, but some key characteristics are reversed. For each fundamental particle in nature, there is a corresponding "antiparticle." Matter, the material that occupies space, consists of atoms and smaller subatomic structures such as protons, neutrons and electrons. "We have an equivalent amount of energy in just one gram or about a raisin-size worth of antimatter," said George Schmidt, a scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.Ĭompared to conventional chemical propulsion systems, antimatter energy would slash the travel time to Mars and back from roughly two years to a few weeks. A tiny amount would fuel the main engine of the space shuttle. ![]() Its explosive energy could someday enable journeys into deep space. NASA researchers, however, are investigating antimatter for its propulsion potential. HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (CNN) - Scientists are looking into a futuristic technology that could lead to interplanetary missions and significantly improve cancer treatments to boot.Īstronauts have gone to the moon, but not other planets in large part because such a trip would require much more propulsion power and time.
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