UK's Pulsar Fusion Opens U.S. Space Propulsion Research Center in Austin

Pulsar Fusion, a U.K.-based firm working on nuclear fusion for space travel, has chosen Austin for its first U.S. location. The company announced Monday it is seeking approximately 50,000 square feet to build a clean room and conduct R&D.

Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, stated: "We found the ecosystem aligned with our long-term goals." The company was attracted to Austin "due to the strength of the local space community, the surrounding innovation ecosystem and of course the people." The exact number of Austin employees has not been finalized.

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Pulsar Fusion has secured funding from the U.K. Space Agency to research nuclear electric propulsion. The company is developing its Sunbird fusion drive, designed to attach to spacecraft and use nuclear fusion for solar system travel.

Nuclear fusion, the process powering the sun, involves atomic collisions releasing energy. Unlike nuclear fission (used in weapons and power plants), fusion doesn't produce radioactive waste, though sustained controlled fusion remains challenging.

Phil Smith, a space industry analyst with BryceTech, noted fusion-powered spacecraft could halve travel time to the outer solar system but cautioned: "Since we haven't been able to make it work on the ground yet (in a sustained, energy-efficient way), the use of this technology for in-space propulsion is a bit further off still."

Dinan countered that in-space propulsion is "an earlier and more achievable application" than grid-scale fusion power. He cited breakthroughs in China and Germany suggesting high-speed plasma could soon serve as space thrust: "The foundational plasma physics for fusion thrust – long-duration, high‑temperature confinement – are now within technological reach."

Pulsar Fusion aims to conduct static engine tests this year and achieve an in-space demonstration by 2027.},