A former reality TV star has achieved a major scientific breakthrough that could half the journey time to Mars and make interstellar space travel a reality in the near future.

Made in Chelsea boffin Richard Dinan has succeeded in developing a pulsar ion thruster fuelled by Krypton (Kr).

Krypton has a higher atomic mass than Argon so produces a greater level of thrust when the ions are accelerated. Kr also has a high storage density so is therefore efficient when considering storage on spacecraft.

Mr Dinan’s company Pulsar Fusion is developing these engines for sensitive manoeuvres in space and repositioning of satellites.

Pulsar Fusion also specialises in developing nuclear fusion technology for use as propulsion.

Whilst governments plan to demonstrate the world’s first nuclear fusion reactor (ITER) in 2025, Pulsar Fusion, a nimble start up in the UK, aims to have demonstrated nuclear fusion rocket engines in space before fusion technology is harnessed for grid power supply on Earth.

Fusion rocket engines are useful technology using nuclear fusion technology today, whilst fusion for energy may still be several decades away due extensive additional technological requirements and the multi-national and typically highly bureaucratic power station timescales.

Fusion rockets do not require large steam turbines and much of the expensive equipment necessary for a power station build project that can take many years to finance and construct.

However, by 2100, world governments predict nuclear fusion will be the dominant power supply of our planet, replacing nuclear fission.

Nuclear Fusion rocket technology has the ability to half mission times to Mars and could open up the possibility of visiting planets outside of our solar system.