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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.
- Source: NEI Magazine
- Date: Friday, 27 January 2023
- Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnasa-and-darpa-to-develop-nuclear-rocket-engines-10546261
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a contract to Belgian company Tractebel to evaluate the possibility of producing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) for use in space exploration. Separately, US company X-energy, working as part of a General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) team, is to develop key fuel fabrication processes in support of a first-of-a-kind rocket powered by nuclear thermal propulsion under a contract awarded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
- Source: World Nuclear News
- Date: Thursday, 02 September 2021
- Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/European-and-US-nuclear-companies-contribute-to-sp
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on 13 July it was leading an effort, working with the Department of Energy (DOE), to advance space nuclear technologies. The government team has selected three reactor design concept proposals for a nuclear thermal propulsion system. The reactor is a critical component of a nuclear thermal engine, which would utilise high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel.
- Source: NEI Magazine
- Date: Friday, 16 July 2021
- Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnasa-announces-funding-for-nuclear-thermal-propulsion-reactor-8898302
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.
- Source: Nucnet
- Date: Friday, 16 July 2021
- Original article: nucnet.org/news/nasa-announces-funding-for-three-thermal-propulsion-reactors-7-4-2021
Three reactor design concept proposals for a nuclear thermal propulsion system for deep space missions have been selected by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The reactor will be a critical component of a nuclear thermal engine, which would utilise high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel.
- Source: World Nuclear News
- Date: Thursday, 15 July 2021
- Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/NASA-selects-reactor-concepts-for-deep-space-explo
Gryphon Technologies has been awarded a USD14 million task order by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to support its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) programme. Specifically, Gryphon will support the development and demonstration of a high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system.
- Source: World Nuclear News
- Date: Thursday, 01 October 2020
- Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Gryphon-to-help-develop-HALEU-fuelled-cislunar-roc
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.
- Source: World Nuclear News
- Date: Friday, 18 September 2020
- Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/GA-delivers-HALEU-fuelled-reactor-concept-for-Mars