US military wants nuclear rocket ideas for missions near the moon

The US military is ready to take the next step in developing a nuclear rocket to help monitor Earth-moon space.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking proposals for the second and third phases of a project to design, develop and assemble a nuclear thermal rocket engine.

The United States will be able to enhance its interests in space and expand possibilities for NASA's long-duration human spaceflight missions with the help of these propulsive capabilities.

The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program aims to develop a nuclear thermal propulsion system for use in Earth-moon space. The U.S. military is trying to keep an eye on cislunar space as government and commercial activities increase in the coming decade.

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NTP systems work by using a reactor. The superheated gas out of the nozzles is created by the high temperatures of the reactor.

NTPs have a thrust-to-weight ratio that is 10,000 times higher than electric systems. According to a description of the DRACO program, NTPs have a specific impulse that is two to five times higher than traditional chemical rockets.

General Atomics, Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin received awards in April 2021. The phase was supposed to last 18 months.

The preliminary design of a nuclear thermal reactor was included in Track A. Track B was pursued by Blue Origin and was intended to create an operational system spacecraft concept to meet future mission objectives.

In September 2020, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded a task order to a company in Washington, D.C. that provides engineering and technical solutions to national security organizations.

NASA is interested in nuclear thermal propulsion for its ability to get missions to Mars in half the time it takes with current systems. NASA's fiscal 2023 budget request, not yet approved by Congress, includes $15 million to support nuclear propulsion.

NASA officials wrote in the $26 billion budget request for fiscal year 2023 that the space agency is collaborating on the DRACO project using non-reimbursable engagement with industry participants where technology investments have common interest to both organizations.

In the last fiscal year, NASA collaborated on flight demonstration projects with subject matter expertise, fuel testing and turbine machinery design.

The US House of Representatives allocated $110 million for nuclear thermal propulsion in fiscal year 2022, rejecting the Biden administration's proposal to refocus NASA's efforts on developing a nuclear reactor that could power crewed bases on the moon.

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