NASA's Future Crewed Mission to Mars Depends on Developing Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA's Future Crewed Mission to Mars Depends on Developing Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA's Future Crewed , Mission to Mars Depends on , Developing Nuclear Thermal Propulsion.

Ars Technica reports that the United States announced its intention to develop a flyable nuclear thermal propulsion system nearly three years ago.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) aim was to develop more responsive controls of spacecraft in Earth orbit, lunar orbit and in between.

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The project is part of an effort to give the U.S. military greater operational freedom in space.

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The operation has been dubbed the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, or DRACO project for short.

Ars Technica reports that the program includes building both a nuclear fission reactor and a spacecraft to fly it.

In 2021, General Atomics was awarded $22 million by DARPA to work on developing the reactor.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin and Blue Origin were awarded an additional $5.4 million to develop the project's spacecraft system.

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Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin and Blue Origin were awarded an additional $5.4 million to develop the project's spacecraft system.

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According to a 2019 report, NASA's only hope for putting humans on Mars in the near future is by developing nuclear propulsion.

Ars Technica reports that nuclear thermal propulsion requires significantly less fuel than other means of chemical propulsion.

NASA will work with our long-term partner, DARPA, to develop and demonstrate advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology as soon as 2027, Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, via Ars Technica.

With the help of this new technology, astronauts could journey to and from deep space faster than ever, a major capability to prepare for crewed missions to Mars, Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, via Ars Technica.

With the help of this new technology, astronauts could journey to and from deep space faster than ever, a major capability to prepare for crewed missions to Mars, Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, via Ars Technica