NASA is taking the nuclear option to space

On Tuesday, NASA announced a new long-term joint project with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the world’s first nuclear thermal rocket engine, with a goal of reducing how long it takes to travel vast distances in space. Somebody better give the Na’vi a heads-up; Pandora, here we come.

The main component of a nuclear thermal engine is an onboard nuclear reactor, which uses a process called fission to provide the thrust needed to move the rocket through space.

NASA initially began researching the tech in 1959, and later sought to demonstrate it in space. But the project was abandoned in 1972 before carrying out any test flights.

🤔 So why is NASA revisiting this now?... Because nuclear thermal engines are at least three times more efficient than the chemical propulsion systems currently in use, translating to greatly-reduced transit times in space.

And with NASA committed to sending humans to Mars by the middle of next decade, the agency is searching for ways to get there as quickly as possible, since longer trips require a higher amount of supplies and more robust systems. Plus, leaving Earth’s atmosphere exposes astronauts to dangerously high levels of cancer-causing cosmic radiation.

• NASA and DARPA haven’t said exactly how fast their new nuclear engine will be able to travel, but it’s expected to be significantly quicker than conventional spacecraft. And those typically reach speeds of 16,000+ MPH.

👀 Looking ahead… NASA said it expects to demonstrate a working nuclear thermal rocket engine in space as early as 2027.