UK-based nuclear propulsion startup, Pulsar Fusion, has successfully demonstrated the first plasma in its Sunbird exhaust test system. This is a significant step towards developing the Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, a fusion rocket designed to provide continuous high-thrust propulsion for faster, more efficient interplanetary travel. The demonstration was live-streamed at the Amazon’s MARS Conference in Ojai, California. The company plans to launch an in-orbit demonstration of Sunbird's core components in 2027, but building the rocket into a fully operational vehicle will take longer. The Dual Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD) engine will have a high specific impulse of 10,000 to 15,000 seconds, making it far more fuel efficient than chemical propulsion rockets can achieve.