NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will cooperate on the development and flight demonstration of a nuclear propulsion system with applications for both national security and space exploration.
During a special session of the AIAA SciTech Forum Jan. 24, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced that the two agencies would work together on DARPA’s existing Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program to demonstrate nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), a technology that offers more efficient propulsion than conventional chemical rockets.
“NASA will partner with our longtime partner, DARPA, to develop and demonstrate advanced nuclear thermal propulsion,” Nelson said in brief remarks at the conference. “Our goal is to launch and demonstrate a successful nuclear thermal engine as soon as 2027.”
The partnership is governed by a non-reimbursable agreement signed by the two agencies earlier this month.
NASA will be responsible for the development of the nuclear engine, with DARPA handling integration of that propulsion system into a spacecraft and launching it.
“We’ve been focused on structuring with clear lines of responsibility,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy on a panel after Nelson’s announcement. NASA had been cooperating on DRACO at a lower level before this announcement.
“The bottom line is that we have really strong communication,” said DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins on the panel. The teams at both agencies “will adapt as needed” over the course of the program.
Source: SpaceNews.com
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