Jetson, Nuclear Propulsion for Space Travel Credits; Because
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently contracted with aerospace giant Lockheed Martin She was awarded a contract worth US$33.7 million To develop advanced nuclear propulsion technologies assembled in ‘Jetson Project‘.
JETSON involves launching a fission reactor that will be operated in space. Reactor It is based on NASA’s Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) from 2018, developed at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, see also this astronomy blog. It appears that momentum has been created For advanced nuclear propulsion In space travel. NASA, DARPA, and Lockheed Martin (headquartered in Littleton, Colorado) are currently building To Al-NawawiThermal propulsion system for the display missile Which will operate in the lunar environment – lunar space – DRACO. Draco means “Agile Lunar Operations Experimental Rocket,” and NASA plans a test flight in 2026-2027. Here’s to Lockheed Martin is now Jetson Project added.
CETSON stands for “Emerging Technology Shared Nuclear Power in Orbit” and aims to, The Lockheed Martin statement said “Mature robust nuclear electric power, propulsion technologies and spacecraft design,” as we mentioned, is the goal to be there A fission reactor will be launched, which will be run once in space. the The reactor will generate heat, which is then transferred to power converters at Stirling to produce electricity. This could then be used to power spacecraft payloads or electric propulsion devices for propulsion. The reactor was built on NASA’s KRUSTY model as of 2018. “Developing nuclear fission for space applications is key to introducing technologies that could dramatically change the way we move about and explore vast swaths of space,” said Barry Miles, JETSON program manager at LM. In the statement. As with other nuclear programs in space, safety is a top priority at JETSON. Uranium is “benign” before the fission process begins. During launch, the reactor is in an inactive, inactive state, and is designed to turn on and initiate the fission process only when the spacecraft is in a safe orbit away from Earth.
Draco, impression art, credits; DARPA/NASA The idea is that a nuclear reactor heats the propellant, such as hydrogen, to extreme temperatures, resulting in more efficient propulsion compared to a nuclear reactor. Chemical missileAnd See also AB This system has greater maneuverability.
the new Lockheed Martin contract This is another big win for the company in space nuclear propulsion. In July, NASA/DARPA, Lockheed Martin, Advertised as main contractor To build and test a nuclear thermal propulsion rocket, DRACO, and A test flight will follow in 2027. In the former Joint statement from NASA and DARPA, NASA has highlighted the NTP system as one of the most important options on the “roadmap” for manned missions to Mars. NTP system, such as DRACO, (See also this astronomy blog about NTP) That would make the trip to the Red Planet shorter than is possible with a conventional rocket. This system is considered more efficient than conventional chemical rockets, which means, among other things, the possibility of carrying more scientific equipment. NASA also stated that the upcoming test flight will see the rocket operated in orbit at an altitude of at least 450 miles (700 kilometers) — but possibly as high as 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) — to ensure at least all radioactive material has decayed. to acceptable levels before returning to Earth.
In 2022, I already wrote that NASA is making big strides in nuclear spaceflight. In addition to Draco, NASA has given the green light for 2022 the ‘Thermal radiation generator“, that A compact and highly efficient nuclear power source for deep space missions Rochester Institute of Technology (New York) Come. This is new TRG concept It must be very effectiveWork more efficiently than solar panels, According to NASA The TRG would therefore be one-tenth the size of the power sources currently used for deep space or planetary missions, including, e.g. Multi-mission radioisotope thermal generators (MMRTGs), where Rover Perseverance Provided with. Examples of cited applications of the TRG concept include NASA Uranus flagship missionThis mission will likely be supported by a small fleet of CubeSats equipped with RTGs. sources; Space.com website, Lockheed Martin, nasa, NASA/JPL, space news, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, DARPA, new atlas, Space and defence
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