Description: This proposal aims to design, characterize, and assess the potential for a z-pinch fusion driven electromagnetic propulsion concept to transform in-space transportation by combining laboratory testing with numerical simulations. The concept leverages low 𝛼 fusion energy and an electromagnetic acceleration mechanism to present a scalable concept with the potential for high specific power, thrust, and specific impulse. The system is also compact (i.e., does not require external magnets), operationally simple, and feasible to test in experimental laboratories. These features are unique among low technology readiness level propulsion concepts, where, especially when fusion reactions are involved, sensitivity to plasma temperatures make the validation of simulations and theoretical models with laboratory experiments essential to assess scalability.