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The USA's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has finalised an agreement with Lockheed Martin to begin work on the fabrication and design of an experimental nuclear thermal rocket and its engine. BWX Technologies, one of Lockheed Martin's partners in the effort, will develop the nuclear reactor and fabricate the HALEU fuel.

Date: Thursday, 27 July 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/BWXT-to-begin-work-on-DRACO-engine-and-fuel

UK-based Pulsar Fusion has entered into a partnership with US Princeton Satellite Systems (PSS) to apply machine learning to study data from the Princeton field-reverse configuration (PFRC-2) reactor. The aim is to advance delivery of practical fusion propelled spacecraft that can make interstellar space travel practical.

Date: Saturday, 17 June 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newstransatlantic-partnership-to-advance-interstellar-fusion-travel-10946500

NASA and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are to collaborate on development of advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology for rocket engines. NASA and DARPA will partner on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) programme with a view to enabling NASA crewed missions to Mars.

Date: Friday, 27 January 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnasa-and-darpa-to-develop-nuclear-rocket-engines-10546261

The USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are to collaborate on developing and demonstrating a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space by 2027.

Date: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NASA-to-test-nuclear-nuclear-rocket-engine-for-man

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking proposals for Phases 2 and 3 of its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) programme, which aims to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system in orbit in fiscal year 2026.

Date: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-cislunar-rocket-project-proceeds-to-next-stage

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) said on 9 April that it had awarded a $22 million contract to General Atomics to design a small nuclear reactor for space propulsion under the demonstration rocket for agile cislunar operations (Draco) project. “Cislunar” refers to space between the Earth and the moon. Draco, set up in 2020, aims to demonstrate nuclear thermal propulsion, namely, using a nuclear reactor to heat rocket fuel in order to generate thrust. In May 2020, Darpa’s Tactical Technology Office issued a “broad agency announcement” asking for proposals to test a nuclear thermal propulsion system in orbit by 2025.

Date: Tuesday, 13 April 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsgeneral-atomics-to-develop-nuclear-reactor-to-power-moon-missions-8663297

A design concept for a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) reactor to power future astronaut missions to Mars has exceeded key performance parameters and optimised the reactor for manufacturability, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has announced. The reactor's features include a compact core thanks to the use of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel.

Date: Friday, 18 September 2020
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/GA-delivers-HALEU-fuelled-reactor-concept-for-Mars