Lockheed Martin Selected To Prepare Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to prepare too demo a nuclear-powered spacecraft under a projection called Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO). The projection volition correspond a rapid advancement inward propulsion applied science to benefit exploration together with national defense force.
DARPA partnered alongside NASA'sec Space Technology Mission Directorate on the DRACO projection, every bit both agencies will do good from this leading edge engineering science. The inward-infinite flight demonstration of a nuclear thermal rocket engine vehicle will take place no afterward than 2027.
Faster, Farther, More Agile
Chemical propulsion engines have long been the touchstone for spaceflight, simply for humans to locomote to Mars, they volition require much more powerful as well as efficient propulsion. Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) engines offer thrust every bit high equally conventional chemic propulsion amongst 2-to-five times higher efficiency, which agency the spacecraft tin can go faster as well as further together with tin significantly trim propellant needs. They likewise enable abort scenarios on journeys to Mars that are non possible with chemic propulsion systems.
Safe as well as Efficient Nuclear Tech
An NTP arrangement uses a nuclear reactor to chop-chop estrus hydrogen propellant to really high temperatures in addition to and so funnels that gas through the engine nozzle to make powerful thrust. The fission-based reactor will role a exceptional high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, to convert the cryogenic hydrogen into an extremely hot pressurized gas. The reactor will non live turned on until the spacecraft has reached a nuclear condom orbit, making the NTP arrangement very rubber.
Lockheed Martin has partnered alongside BWX Technologies to train the nuclear reactor and produce the HALEU fuel.
SOURCE Lockheed Martin
DARPA partnered alongside NASA'sec Space Technology Mission Directorate on the DRACO projection, every bit both agencies will do good from this leading edge engineering science. The inward-infinite flight demonstration of a nuclear thermal rocket engine vehicle will take place no afterward than 2027.
Faster, Farther, More Agile
Chemical propulsion engines have long been the touchstone for spaceflight, simply for humans to locomote to Mars, they volition require much more powerful as well as efficient propulsion. Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) engines offer thrust every bit high equally conventional chemic propulsion amongst 2-to-five times higher efficiency, which agency the spacecraft tin can go faster as well as further together with tin significantly trim propellant needs. They likewise enable abort scenarios on journeys to Mars that are non possible with chemic propulsion systems.
"These more than powerful in addition to efficient nuclear thermal propulsion systems can supply faster transit times between destinations. Reducing transit time is vital for human being missions to Mars to limit a crew's exposure to radiation," said Kirk Shireman, vice president of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin Space. "This is a prime number engineering that can be used to transport humans together with material to the Moon. A safety, reusable nuclear tug spacecraft would revolutionize cislunar operations. With more than speed, agility together with maneuverability, nuclear thermal propulsion likewise has many national security applications for cislunar space."
Safe as well as Efficient Nuclear Tech
An NTP arrangement uses a nuclear reactor to chop-chop estrus hydrogen propellant to really high temperatures in addition to and so funnels that gas through the engine nozzle to make powerful thrust. The fission-based reactor will role a exceptional high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, to convert the cryogenic hydrogen into an extremely hot pressurized gas. The reactor will non live turned on until the spacecraft has reached a nuclear condom orbit, making the NTP arrangement very rubber.
Lockheed Martin has partnered alongside BWX Technologies to train the nuclear reactor and produce the HALEU fuel.
"In the past several years, BWXT has been maturing its nuclear thermal propulsion fuel as well as blueprint, and nosotros are excited to further expand into space amongst our power to deliver nuclear products too capabilities to the U.south. Government, " said Joe Miller, BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC president. "We expect frontward to edifice the reactor as well as manufacturing the fuel at our Lynchburg, Virginia, facilities."
SOURCE Lockheed Martin
