Pulsar Fusion, the UK aerospace company dedicated to developing propulsion engines for space exploration, has successfully demonstrated their latest breakthrough at a special event in California hosted by Jeff Bezos.
In a historic first Pulsar Fusion achieved ‘first plasma’ in their Sunbird exhaust test system last weekend at Amazon’s prestigious MARS conference in Ojai, California. The successful test represents a first glimpse of the actual architecture of a nuclear fusion exhaust system for space travel being physically showcased.
The MARS conference curates and presents some of the most inspirational and cutting-edge technologies in the world today. Pulsar’s CEO Richard Dinan presented the Sunbird live demo to an esteemed group of industry academics, entrepreneurs, Nobel laureates and astronauts.
This successful test represents an early step, demonstrating plasma confinement within the architecture of Pulsar’s Sunbird exhaust system. The experiment used a combination of electric and magnetic fields to guide and accelerate charged particles through the exhaust channel.
During the next phase of the development Pulsar will gather detailed performance data to help plan for the first Sunbird mission, looking at factors such as thrust and exhaust velocity. This data will allow Pulsar to plan the first Sunbird mission.
Sunbird front view in Chamber
In order to maximise the mission lifetime of Sunbird, Pulsar has developed a research programme in collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority. This will study the effects of neutron radiation on the reactor walls and magnets, a primary cause of wear within the reactor.
For this initial test series, the propellant used was krypton, selected for its relatively high ionisation efficiency and inert characteristics at the mass flow rates required for early testing.
Upcoming experiments will incorporate rotating magnetic field heating, RF heating systems, and a dedicated thrust balance to allow more detailed performance measurements.
Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar said: “This marks the first real step into practical nuclear fusion rocket hardware testing. The Sunbird programme. Showcasing this milestone live in California at Amazon’s prestigious MARS conference, hosted by Jeff Bezos, was an exceptional moment and a genuine privilege.
“Further ahead, we plan to upgrade the magnetic system to rare-earth, high-temperature superconducting magnets, enabling stronger magnetic fields and allowing exploration of higher plasma density and pressure conditions.
“This programme ultimately aims to begin experimental work with aneutronic fusion fuel cycles as part of the continued development of the Sunbird propulsion system.”
Sunbird was first unveiled in 2025 and was initially designed by Pulsar to redefine space travel with the potential to cut mission times to Mars by half and unlock a new era of interplanetary travel for international partners.
Learn more: https://pulsarfusion.com/
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