Funkworks
Low Earth Orbit, obstructing Earth's view of Venus
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2018
- Messages
- 5,379
- Reaction score
- 6,055
Looks like the idea is quite healthy:
"On Wednesday, NASA and DARPA announced they had selected Lockheed Martin to serve as the primary contractor to assemble the experimental nuclear thermal reactor vehicle (X-NTRV) and its engine. BWX Technologies will be one of Lockheed Martin’s partners, and it will develop the nuclear reactor and fabricate the high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel to power the reactor."
"The basic idea is straightforward: A nuclear reactor rapidly heats up a propellant, probably liquid hydrogen, and then this gas expands and is passed out a nozzle, creating thrust."
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/...-nuclear-powered-rocket-engine-in-four-years/
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-picks...-rocket-thatll-take-us-to-mars-170035659.html
https://www.space.com/nasa-darpa-nuclear-thermal-rocket-draco-2026
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-darpa-experts-to-discuss-nuclear-rocket-program-developments
It will be interesting to follow progress in the coming months and years.
"On Wednesday, NASA and DARPA announced they had selected Lockheed Martin to serve as the primary contractor to assemble the experimental nuclear thermal reactor vehicle (X-NTRV) and its engine. BWX Technologies will be one of Lockheed Martin’s partners, and it will develop the nuclear reactor and fabricate the high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel to power the reactor."
"The basic idea is straightforward: A nuclear reactor rapidly heats up a propellant, probably liquid hydrogen, and then this gas expands and is passed out a nozzle, creating thrust."
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/...-nuclear-powered-rocket-engine-in-four-years/
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-picks...-rocket-thatll-take-us-to-mars-170035659.html
https://www.space.com/nasa-darpa-nuclear-thermal-rocket-draco-2026
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-darpa-experts-to-discuss-nuclear-rocket-program-developments
It will be interesting to follow progress in the coming months and years.