Liquid Methane and Oxygen Rocket Engine.

That's a picture of XCOR Aerospace's new liquid methane and liquid oxygen powered engine, a prototype of what could be launching future rockets to the Moon and Mars. The private space firm created the engine, which is about 20% more efficient than traditional hypergol engines that power trips today, with funding from NASA. This could very well be the way that future space missions get off the ground.

Also, it's pretty sweet looking, so there's that. –Adam Frucci

I really can't see it getting off the ground (if you'll pardon the pun) That would mean a LOT of Methane released into the atmosphere on every launch, I can just see the placards held by the environmentalists already...

We should be investing in alternative methods of propulsion. Any vessel to transport humans to Lunar/Martian orbit should be in Earth orbit, and not launched from the surface each time. It would be far more efficient.

Agreed. The plans are to have a space station and launch expeditions from there. Inter-planetar ships would be too big to launch from the surface anyway but... The crew has to get into it somehow But I read some articles about successfull teleportation under the Danube in Wienna. Star Trek is closer than you think.