Pulsar Fusion

Recognized under Tier 5 — Energy Production & Storage, Pulsar Fusion is a UK-based propulsion company developing the Sunbird nuclear fusion rocket around its Dual Direct Fusion Drive, a system designed to combine roughly 2 megawatts of power with a specific impulse of 10,000 to 15,000 seconds. In March 2026 the company achieved first plasma in the exhaust architecture of its fusion rocket using krypton propellant confined by electric and magnetic fields, a milestone it demonstrated live at Amazon's MARS Conference. Pulsar has also contracted with Momentus to launch a demonstration mission for its Hall-effect thruster propulsion system, and is targeting an in-orbit demonstration of core fusion-drive components by 2027 ahead of a production engine planned for the early 2030s. Fusion-driven propulsion and power of this kind would compress transit times to Mars and reduce crew radiation exposure, directly addressing one of the hardest constraints on crewed Mars colonization.