The VASIMR plasma rocket engine is capable of propelling a spacecraft to Mars in about 39 days. This advanced space propulsion system has been developed by the Ad Astra Rocket Company (AARC) headed by former NASA astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang Díaz. AARC is a leading spaceflight technology company that is developing the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) technology.