"All current spacecraft and rockets fly by expanding fuel. The faster the fuel is thrown away, the more efficient the rocket is. However, there is a limited amount fuel that we can carry on board. As a result, the velocity a spacecraft can be accelerated to is limited. This fundamental limit is dictated by the Rocket Equation. The limitations of Rocket Equation translate into a relatively slow and costly space exploration. Such missions as Solar Gravitational Lens are not feasible with current spacecraft," the professor told an American news agency.
"The pellet beam aims to transform the way deep space is explored by enabling fast transit missions to far-away destinations," said Davoyan, adding that "With the pellet beam, outer planets can be reached in less than a year, 100 AU in about three years, and solar gravity lens at 500 AU in about 15 years. Importantly, unlike other concepts, the pellet-beam can propel heavy spacecraft (~1 ton), which substantially increases the scope of possible missions."