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France’s Framatome has announced the launch of Framatome Space “putting its 65 years of nuclear and industrial expertise at the service of the space industry”. Framatome CEO Bernard Fontana said the company is proud to be part of the new age of space travel. “We already supply the space industry with domes for the tanks of launchers and hafnium for the hardened alloys for spacecraft. With the creation of Framatome Space we are taking things to the next level,” he noted, “The space industry is looking to nuclear to facilitate faster and more efficient missions. Who better than Framatome, with over six decades of experience and expertise in nuclear power, to contribute to the next giant leap for mankind?”

Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsframatome-launches-framatome-space-11242883

US-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) has been contracted to develop the reactor and fuel for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO), which will use nuclear thermal propulsion. As part of a team led by Lockheed Martin, BWXT Advanced Technologies is to complete final design of the nuclear reactor, manufacture the reactor’s hardware and fuel, assemble the components and deliver the fuelled reactor as a complete subsystem.

Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsbwxt-reactor-and-fuel-selected-for-darpa-space-project-11074621

France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA - Commissariat à l'énergie Atomique et aux énergies Alternatives) is to conduct two feasibility studies on nuclear propulsion in space for the European Space Agency (ESA). CEA says these “could bring significant benefits, responding to Europe's concern to ensure long-duration missions in space”. CEA is therefore undertaking two studies – the Alumni project and RocketRoll. These one-year feasibility studies, will be used to develop a roadmap for the possible development of technological bricks and a demonstrator by 2035.

Date: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newscea-to-conduct-nuclear-propulsion-studies-for-the-european-space-agency-10967873

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is conducting two feasibility studies on nuclear propulsion for the European Space Agency, which could pave the way for missions to Mars and beyond.

Date: Friday, 23 June 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/CEA-feasibility-studies-on-nuclear-propulsion-in-s

A consortium, involving the University of Bristol, has been awarded GBP7.7m ($9.2m)from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) of UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to develop pioneering hydrogen storage.

Date: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newshydrogen-energy-storage-project-secures-uk-funding-10391906

A consortium comprising EDF UK R&D, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the University of Bristol and Urenco has been awarded GBP7.7 million (USD9.3 million) in funding from the UK's Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to develop a hydrogen storage solution.

Date: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Funding-for-UK-project-to-store-hydrogen-using-dep

Plants could be used for missions to Mars A NASA illustration of a conceptual spacecraft using nuclear thermal propulsion. Courtesy NASA. NASA has selected three teams of companies to perform concept studies of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) reactors while making plans to fund similar studies for nuclear surface power systems.

Each contract is worth approximately $5m and will last one year.

One contract will go to BWX Technologies, working with Lockheed Martin. A second contract will go to General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, working with X-energy and Aerojet Rocketdyne. The third will go to Ultra Safe Nuclear Technologies, working with its parent company, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, as well as Blue Origin, General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy, General Electric Research, Framatome and Materion.

All three studies are focused on developing a design for a reactor that would be part of a future NTP system. That reactor would heat up a propellant such as liquid hydrogen, generating thrust at far higher efficiencies than conventional propulsion systems and enabling shorter transit times for missions to Mars.

Date: Friday, 16 July 2021
Original article: nucnet.org/news/nasa-announces-funding-for-three-thermal-propulsion-reactors-7-4-2021

A new publication by the US Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “Space Nuclear Propulsion for Human Mars Exploration (2021)” seeks to identify primary technical and programmatic challenges, merits, and risks for maturing space nuclear propulsion technologies of interest to a future human Mars exploration mission. The study, undertaken by the Space Nuclear Propulsion Technologies Committee, was sponsored by NASA.

Date: Friday, 19 February 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsus-report-looks-at-space-nuclear-propulsion-for-mars-exploration-8532029