To the Moon, Mars and beyond: NASA's new Propulsion Research Laboratory starts the journey

NASA's new Propulsion Research Laboratory gives scientists and engineers a secure, safely isolated, yet still accessible environment to start tomorrow's fantastic journeys.

The July 29 official opening ceremonies marked full operation of the laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The 66,000-square-foot facility has 26 labs, including high-bay areas and heavy-duty cranes.

Solar energy, advanced chemical propulsion, high power plasma propulsion, fission, fusion and anti-matter technologies are technologies already under evaluation for space travel.

The laboratory, home of the Marshall Center's Propulsion Research Center, provides a national resource for researchers from NASA, other government agencies and universities to conduct short-term and long-term experiments.

Talk to an expert about the lab's opening and the future of space propulsion.

Source: NASA