Nuclear thermal propulsion systems have about 10 times more power density than a traditional light water reactor. Nuclear propulsion could have a leg up on chemical propulsion for a few reasons.

These systems do not require any sort of ignition system, so they’re reliable. But these rockets must carry oxygen with them into space, which can weigh them down. Unlike chemical propulsion systems, ...

In early 2023, NASA and DARPA announced they would accept proposals to build a working nuclear thermal propulsion system, which led to the new contracts.

Nuclear thermal propulsion, or NTP, is a potentially game-changing technology for NASA's crewed missions to Mars in the 2040 timeframe. NTP engines use a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen to ultra ...

Nuclear thermal propulsion could also one day power maneuverable space platforms that would protect American satellites in and beyond Earth’s orbit. But the technology is still in development.

The best candidate is the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) system, a type of nuclear rocket. According to GA-EMS president Scott Forney, the company's latest nuclear fuel tests show that their ...

In 2023, NASA and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced they're working on a nuclear thermal rocket engine, so that NASA can send a crewed spacecraft to Mars.

It cycled the nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) fuel up to 2600 Kelvin (4,220 Fahrenheit) and back down again several times, using superheated hydrogen.

The last nuclear thermal rocket engine tests conducted by the United States occurred more than 50 years ago under NASA’s Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application and Rover projects.

Nuclear thermal propulsion could also one day power maneuverable space platforms that would protect American satellites in and beyond Earth’s orbit. But the technology is still in development.

Nuclear power could, one day, take us to Mars in half the time of chemical fuels. Accounting for the time it'll take to build the engines, however, it seems chemicals still come out ahead for our ...