NASA and DARPA Tap Lockheed Martin for a Nuclear Propulsion Demonstration

In the never-ending quest for space exploration and the furthering of human knowledge, the two largest government agencies in the realm of aeronautics and space exploration, NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have just announced an agreement with defense company Lockheed Martin for a groundbreaking, nuclear propulsion demonstration.

The year-long program will focus on Revolutionizing Propellantwise Utilization in Deep Space (RPUl-DS), an undertaking by NASA and DARPA that aims to employ nuclear thermal propulsion or NTP, to revolutionize space travel. This propulsion system has been around for some time, but has not been used operationally for a long duration or on a wide scale, given its complex structural requisites and the immense pressure required for spaceflight.

Both NASA and DARPA are confident in the sweeping advantages of this propulsion system. According to DARPA Program Manager Travis Blake, “With nuclear thermal propulsion, these deep space missions can be completed in less time, reduce payload mass, and enable a new generation of deep space exploration.”

The initial target for the demonstration is a 40-kilowatt Nuclear Thermal Propulsion and Reactor Power System that both NASA and DARPA intend to show as a fully-operational complex by 2024. Lockheed Martin has provided the department’s with the assurance that their engineers, depending on the specifics, are capable of producing the infrastructure required.

Lockheed Martin plans to quickly begin building the prototype for demonstration scenarios and obtaining accordingly-required licensing from the Energy Department, upon successful completion of the agreement’s delivery.

This agreement marks the first step in NASA and DARPA’s effort to significantly reduce the amount of time and energy needed for transporting humans to and from the outer realms of space. With much of the architectural intricacies still to be outlined, the agreement with Lockheed Martin is still a long way to go and promises to be a milestone in space exploration.