Nasa has unveiled funding for a nuclear-powered rocket that could cut journey times to Mars from seven months to just 45 days.

The Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket could be used to transport both people and cargo across the Solar System, significantly reducing major risks associated with interplanetary travel, such as radiation exposure.

The concept was put forward by Professor Ryan Gosse from the University of Florida, who claimed the bimodal design would “revolutionise deep space exploration”.

Nasa will help fund the rocket’s development through a series of new grants aimed at financing “high-risk, high-reward projects that have the potential to “drastically improve” space missions over the next decades.

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“By working together, across government and with industry, the United States is advancing space nuclear propulsion,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for Nasa’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Read more: Independent