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The shipment earlier this year of heat source plutonium-238 from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to its Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) represents a critical step toward fuelling planned space missions with radioisotope power systems, NASA had said.

Date: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnasa-moves-closer-to-use-of-plutonium-238-to-power-space-missions-11335593

US-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) has won a contract from NASA to develop and mature Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) systems to advance US civil science and cislunar capabilities. The contract, is intended to move NTP from design to equipment manufacture.

Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsusnc-wins-nasa-nuclear-propulsion-contract-11242887

?US Space Nuclear Power Corporation (SpaceNukes) has teamed with Lockheed Martin Corporation and BWX Technologies for participation in the Space Force/Air Force Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-orbit Nuclear Power (JETSON) project. This is part of an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate programme.

Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsspacenukes-partnership-wins-contract-to-develop-reactors-for-space-vehicles-11242893

With nuclear technology set to underpin new developments in space travel, NASA has awarded Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation a contract to manufacture and test fuel and develop the design of a nuclear thermal propulsion engine for near-term missions. Separately, Space Nuclear Power Corporation has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation and BWX Technologies for the US Space Force/Air Force's JETSON nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project, while Framatome has announced the creation of a new brand, Framatome Space.

Date: Saturday, 21 October 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-companies-sign-up-for-space-technology-mis

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

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

US-based X-Energy Reactor Company subsidiary TRISO-X has completed testing of its coated particle fuel for nuclear thermal propulsion applications. The work was undertaken as part of a team led by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems for the first phase of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA’s) Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) programme. The first phase included a baseline design of a nuclear thermal rocket, which was awarded to General Atomics.

Date: Saturday, 18 March 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newstriso-x-tests-fuel-for-nuclear-thermal-space-applications-10682655

A coated particle fuel for nuclear thermal propulsion applications, fabricated by TRISO-X LLC, has undergone testing in extreme conditions representing those experienced in space.

Date: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Space-propulsion-fuel-particle-in-TRISO-testing-fi