NASA's initiatives to pioneer next-generation space technologies are also hit hard in the White House's budget proposal. If ...

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) has stood as a promising potential alternative propulsion technology for decades. Chemical rockets have begun to reach their theoretical maximum efficiency, and ...

Humanity owes a debt of gratitude to the chemical rockets that have launched satellites, astronauts, and entire space stations into space. But if we have any hope of reliably settling on other planets ...

One of these designs, known as a Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (CNTR), uses a centrifuge to turn uranium fuel into a molten liquid that heats hydrogen and produces thrust.

“We’ve spent nearly $20 billion on nuclear (space) power since the 50s and the only system we currently have is a light-bulb sized, 100-watt radioisotope generator,” Bhavya Lal, former NASA ...

Lockheed Martin and partner BWX Technologies were on contract to develop a nuclear thermal rocket through the DARPA-NASA DRACO program. Credit: Lockheed Martin NASA’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget ...

“The Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (CNTR) is a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) concept designed to heat propellant directly by the reactor fuel,” explained the researchers in a new study.

This technology aims to provide twice the specific impulse compared to chemical engines, which will allow for higher speeds and longer distances. As part of the NASA DRACO, nuclear thermal propulsion ...

The European Commission made a proposal Wednesday to clean up Europe's space sector while also reducing its footprint and ...