An illustration of a solar-powered rocket using four VASIMR engines. The sun's energy could be used in Earth-Moon missions. (Courtesy Ad Astra)

Costa Rican creates plasma rocket to pick up space trash

Franklin Chang Diaz wants to fuel the International Space Station and transport people to Mars with his plasma rocket.

By Alex Leff , GlobalPost
Published: November 19, 2009 06:26 ET

LIBERIA, Costa Rica — Franklin Chang Diaz has great aspirations for his rocket: a mail-carrier for outer space, a garbage truck for orbital debris and, the ultimate goal, a shuttle to Mars.

The Costa Rica-born physicist speaks nonchalantly about the day humankind will have moved entirely to outer space, while our precious Earth becomes “a protected...

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