NASA and the U.S. military plan to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Earth orbit in late 2025 or early 2026. The project, known asDRACO("Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations"), aims to give an in-space test to nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), potentially revolutionary t...
DARPA expects to choose one provider for the next two phases, which according to aMay 4 solicitationare focused on finalizing the detailed nuclear thermal rocket design and building the spacecraft and its flight engine. Once completed, DARPA plans to conduct an on-orbit demonstrati...
Nuclear thermal rocket engine testing was last conducted by the USA more than 50 years ago under NASA’s Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application and Rover projects. “With this collaboration, we will leverage our expertise gained from many previous space nuclear power and propul...
NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will partner on developing a new nuclear thermal rocket engine to be used for space travel. The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, is a non-reimbursable agreement that outlines roles, responsibilities, an...