NASA’s Nuclear Engine Will Generated 10,000 Pounds Of Thrust & Launch In 2027

wccftech.com:

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared more details about its plans to fly a nuclear rocket in 2027. NASA partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) earlier this year to launch a nuclear rocket on a traditional vehicle launch in 2027. This test will study the engine and ensure it performs as expected.

Details for the nuclear rocket and NASA's role in its development were revealed in a meeting of NASA's Advisory Council held yesterday. At the event, NASA's space nuclear technology portfolio Manager Dr. Anthony Calomino stressed that the nuclear rocket launch is planned to make it completely safe and that the reactor will not be powered up until it is safely away from Earth.

NASA's plans for using nuclear technology in space revolve around three designs. These are nuclear fission surface power generation (or a typical nuclear power plant), nuclear electric propulsion and nuclear thermal propulsion. On this front, the agency is currently working with six contractors to develop a concept 40 kilowatt-electric lunar fission surface plant. NASA and the Department of Energy partnered with Lockheed Martin, BIWXT, Westinghouse, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Intuit Machines and X-Energy.

Dr. Calomino shared that the design reviews for IX were finished in April, and Lockheed's proposal is up for review on the 23rd of this month. NASA and DOE are also using a government reference design to gauge the amount of investment needed in the project, and the agency's official shared that it is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory for its Joint Energy