What if it were possible to travel to Mars without using traditional rockets? That is the question being explored by local start-up Dark Sea Industries, an aerospace company focused on developing new propulsion technologies for space-related industries.

The company is a virtual tenant in STC's Cecchi VentureLab and is currently conducting a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money to construct several prototypes that will test the theory behind using a superconducting coil, or solenoid, to create electromagnetic fields to propel spacecraft.

The big idea explores the possibilities of using electric or magnetic fields already in the space around the Sun (heliosphere) or Earth (magnetosphere) to power magnetic sails.

The technology inventor and company administrator Craig Davidson, is consulting with Professor Chris Hall, Chair of the UNM Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Peter Vorobieff from the department.

Undergrad mechanical engineering student John Padilla is working as an intern with the company.