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DARPA and NASA announced a collaboration Tuesday January 23rd, 2023, to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space, an enabling capability for NASA’s crewed Mars missions.
Both NASA and DARPA will collaborate on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, or DRACO, program.
The non-reimbursable agreement outlines roles, responsibilities, and processes to accelerate development.
“NASA will work with our long-term partner, DARPA, to develop and demonstrate advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology as soon as 2027. 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,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“Congratulations to both NASA and DARPA on this exciting investment, as we ignite the future, together.”
It is crucial to reduce transit time for human missions to Mars, as longer trips require more supplies and robust systems, so using a nuclear thermal rocket reduces astronaut risk.
NASA’s Moon to Mars objectives will be met when transportation technology becomes faster and more efficient.
It is also possible to increase the payload capacity and power of instruments and communications as a result of space travel.
In a nuclear thermal rocket engine, extremely high temperatures are generated by a fission reactor.
The engine transfers the heat produced by the reactor to a liquid propellant, which is expanded and exhausted through a nozzle to propel the spacecraft.
The efficiency of nuclear thermal rockets can be three or more times greater than that of conventional chemical rockets.
“NASA has a long history of collaborating with DARPA on projects that enable our respective missions, such as in-space servicing,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.
“Expanding our partnership to nuclear propulsion will help drive forward NASA’s goal to send humans to Mars.”
Under this agreement, the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) of NASA is assigned the duty of optimizing technical aspects connected to the nuclear thermal engine intended to be integrated with DARPA’s experimental spacecraft.
On the other hand, DARPA is acting as the contracting authority for the development of both the stage and related motor, which covers even the reactor.
Additionally, it is responsible for handling rocket systems integration and procurement, securing approvals and schedules, security measures, safety and liability actions and overall assembly and integration with the spacecraft. During this entire process,
NASA along with DARPA shall work together on assembling the engine ahead of its in-space presentation planned as early as 2027.
More than 50 years ago, NASA’s Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application and Rover projects conducted the last nuclear thermal rocket engine tests in the United States.
“With this collaboration, we will leverage our expertise gained from many previous space nuclear power and propulsion projects,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for STMD.
“Recent aerospace materials and engineering advancements are enabling a new era for space nuclear technology, and this flight demonstration will be a major achievement toward establishing a space transportation capability for an Earth-Moon economy.”
A nuclear thermal propulsion engine is being developed by NASA and DOE to advance high temperature fission fuels and reactors.
In order to support a longer-range goal of increased engine performance, these design efforts are currently under development. They will not be used for the DRACO engine.
Sources: NASA
