The first test of the motor, carried out in December 2006, had been considered a success, even though the generator only managed to stay ignited for two minutes. On the second test, in June 2007, the team of Ad Astra ("To the stars" in Latin), managed to fire a historic plasma burst that remain stable for more than four hours, far exceeding everyone's expectations. The success of this trial is attributed to improvements in the cooling system and the magnetic field that insulates the plasma as this plasma can reach up to 90 thousand degrees Fahrenheit and is capable of melting any material. With this magnetic field, the plasma is kept in 'suspension', without coming into contact with any of its container walls.
Ad Astra Rocket Company
We wanted to know a little more about how the project was going, and Ronald Chang, Executive Director of Ad Astra Costa Rica, agreed to tell us... Did you imagine that you would achieve such a large leap forward in only six months? Well, everything in this project is at high speed. Franklin is a person with strong ideas on efficiency and this same spirit is imbued in the whole team. We always move quickly here, not in a crazy race, but well planned and advancing systematically.
What should a plasma motor that is finished and ready for action be like?
Finished motors will be smaller than a compact vehicle. In their early years, they will be part of small spacecrafts that will principally be used for correctly positioning objects in orbit such as satellites, space stations or telescopes that need to be transported to new locations. Further ahead we are thinking about a manned mission to Mars, although for this we still need to resolve various issues, not just with respect to the motor, but also concerning the logistics of the journey and this will take at least, another 20 years. In the shorter term, it is likely that our motors will be an important part of the exploitation of asteroids for mines, one of the new adventures that humanity is beginning on and which would be, without a doubt, a solution to the great impact that mining has on the environment today.
What is the most complicated issue left to resolve?
Right now, we are looking to increase the power from 1.5kW to 30kW, which will be another great leap, although very attainable and which we hope to achieve before December. At this point, we would already be practically ready to begin construction of the final prototype, which will be launched into space in 201 1.
How has the experience of setting up in Costa Rica and developing the research here been?
Frankling Chang Diaz
Setting up in Costa Rica was Franklin's decision, motivated by his affection for the country and with the aim of showing that it is possible to develop cutting edge technology in Costa Rica. It is very encouraging to receive visits from high schools or families who in the beginning see this as something from another world and at the end of their visit, leave enamored with the project and understanding much more about it. The collaborators that make up our team don't come to work, but rather come to do science, which is to say that they adore their work and we couldn't be more satisfied with them, with their great motivation and dedication.
We have also had a lot of support from local investors who would never have invested in technology like this and who with Ad Astra have taken a new step and contributed important capital for the development of the project. We are highly satisfied with this decision and happy to be able to contribute a grain of sand to the growth of the country and the valuation of Costa Rica overseas.
Development- Services 
