US startup RocketStar has successfully demonstrated an electric propulsion unit for spacecraft that uses nuclear fusion-enhanced pulsed plasma, known as the FireStar Drive. This innovative system ionizes water vapor to generate high-speed protons that collide with the nucleus of a boron atom, creating fusion, improving thrust by 50%. The fusion-fission reaction was first devised during a US Air Force program and tested at Georgia Institute of Technology’s lab. RocketStar CEO Chris Craddock praised the collaboration with Miles Space, where the idea was sketched out. Plans for further ground testing and an in-space demonstration in 2025 are underway, showing promising results.
https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/news/space/rocketstar-tests-fusion-enhanced-in-space-propulsion-process.html