The DRACO project will test potentially revolutionary propulsion technology.
NASA's involvement shouldn't be surprising; the agency's interest in NTP tech goes way back. For example, NASA aimed to launch a crewed Mars mission aboard a nuclear-powered spacecraft by 1979, via aNASA is still shooting for the Red Planet, aiming to get astronauts there by the late 2030s or early 2040s. And it still viewsthat could make this goal more attainable, by slashing the travel time to and from the Red Planet.
Nuclear thermal rockets carry small fission reactors, which release incredible amounts of heat as they split atoms. This heat is then applied to a propellant gas, which expands and is funneled into space through a nozzle to create thrust., nuclear tech that has been flying aboard probes since the early days of the space age. RTGs don't provide propulsion; they harness the heat of radioactive decay to generate electricity, which then powers instruments, motors and other spacecraft gear.
In previous DRACO updates, DARPA and NASA have said they aim to launch the program's first in-space demonstration by 2027. But that timetable may have moved up; Shireman said in today's briefing that the target launch window at the moment is late 2025 or early 2026. We got other details today as well. For example, Lockheed is partnering with the Virginia-based company BWX Technologies, which will develop the DRACO spacecraft's nuclear reactor and produce its HALEU fuel.— likely somewhere between 435 and 1,240 miles , team members said during today's briefing.
The mission team will take pains to ensure safety on the way up as well: The DRACO vehicle's nuclear engine will only be activated once it reaches orbit. During launch, the engine will be equipped with a"poison wire," a piece of metal that absorbs neutrons, preventing them from initiating a chain reaction. The poison wire acts much as control rods do in nuclear power reactors here on Earth, team members said.
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