DARPA promotes development of nuclear-powered spacecraft

U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA signed a first-stage contract to design and manufacture a space rocket equipped with a nuclear propulsion system between Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos’ aerospace companies Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and General Atomics. did. The three companies will design a propulsion system for DARPA’s Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program and power the spacecraft aimed at the moon.

This contract has two purposes. First, General Atomics is refining the initial design of a nuclear power plant reactor and propulsion assistance system concept with a budget of $22.2 million. The other is Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin working on their own spacecraft concept for $2.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively.

Lockheed Martin says nuclear-powered spacecraft is an innovative technology that will increase agility and enable efficient mobility to Mars and elsewhere in a much shorter time than conventional propulsion systems.

In addition, Blue Origin, which is developing the Lunar Lander spacecraft that will send space tourism rockets New Shepard, reuse rockets New Glenn, and NASA astronauts to the moon, is an important technology. He says he is pleased to support DARPA in building the concept of spacecraft in the field.

Phase 1 of the DRACO program is expected to be completed by the end of 2022, and phase 2 is expected to begin thereafter. Related information can be found here.