VASIME ENGINE:
Elon Musk, one of the biggest proponents for a mission to Mars is interested in or skeptical for VASIMR ENGINE. All the rockets we've sent into space have used chemical engines, ones that combine fuel with an oxidizer to create combustion. These engines are powerful but they require a lot of fuel and add a lot of weight around 700,000 Kilograms and the trip to Mars with these engines is estimated around eight to nine months. But with the VASIMR ENGINE it's going to change around 40 days!
Franklin Chang-Diaz, a Ph. D plasma physicist and astronaut who's tied for having the most space flights ever, says that VASIMR uses a relatively small amount of argon gas instead of chemical combustion. The plasma blasts back of the rocket to produce thrust and these boosters work on electricity, which could be powered by solar panels.
How Does It Work:
VASIMR ENGINE not only solves weight and power issues but also reduces the time to travel. It uses superconducting magnets to keep the plasma in place, so it won't melt anything. The magnetic field becomes the canister and there is no limit to how hard yo can make the plasma, solar panels won't cut it. You are going to need a nuclear power source for it. But it is not going to be easy to achieve and neither impossible.