The problem with developing antimatter propulsion is the lack of antimatter present in the universe. If equal amounts of matter and antimatter existed, we would probably see these reactions all around us. Antimatter doesn’t exist around us, so we can’t see the light produced when antimatter collides with matter.
At the time of the Big Bang, the number of particles may have exceeded the number of antiparticles. As mentioned above, collisions between particles and antiparticles destroy both. And since there may have been more particles in the universe to begin with, those are the only ones left. There may be no naturally occurring antiparticles in our universe today.
However, in 1977, scientists discovered the possibility of deposits of antimatter near the center of galaxies. If it exists, it means that antimatter exists naturally, and the creation of antimatter is no longer necessary.
For now, we have to create all the antimatter ourselves. Fortunately, technology is available to produce antimatter using high-energy particle colliders, also known as “atom smashers.”
Atom smashers like CERN are large tunnels lined with powerful supermagnets that orbit around them to propel atoms at near the speed of light. As atoms pass through this accelerator, they collide with targets and produce particles. Some of these particles are antiparticles that are separated by magnetic fields.
These high-energy particle accelerators produce only 1 to 2 picograms of antiprotons per year. A picogram is one trillionth of a gram. All the antiprotons produced at CERN in a year are enough to light a 100-watt light bulb for three seconds. Large amounts of antiprotons are needed to reach an interstellar destination.
