By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept

News Junction

Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Is Trump walking away from peace in Ukraine? | US News
    Is Trump walking away from peace in Ukraine? | US News
    May 20, 2025
    How the U.S. is Tapping a Much Bigger Well in The Middle East
    How the U.S. is Tapping a Much Bigger Well in The Middle East
    May 20, 2025
    Biden’s cancer diagnosis renews transparency concerns; Trump claims coverup | Health News
    Biden’s cancer diagnosis renews transparency concerns; Trump claims coverup | Health News
    May 20, 2025
    Trump reveals difficult relationship with Zelensky — RT World News
    Trump reveals difficult relationship with Zelensky — RT World News
    May 20, 2025
    Stock market news today: live updates
    Stock market news today: live updates
    May 20, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Ukraine blows up bridges to consolidate its positions in Russia
    Ukraine blows up bridges to consolidate its positions in Russia
    August 18, 2024
    Commentary: AI phones from Google and Apple will erode trust in everything
    Commentary: AI phones from Google and Apple will erode trust in everything
    August 18, 2024
    The most famous Indian Dishes – Insights Success
    The most famous Indian Dishes – Insights Success
    August 18, 2024
    Life on the road as a female long rides cyclist
    Life on the road as a female long rides cyclist
    August 18, 2024
    UK inflation rises to 2.2%
    UK inflation rises to 2.2%
    August 18, 2024
  • Cryptocurrency
    CryptocurrencyShow More
    6.3% Rally Fueled by DeFi Demand and Volume
    6.3% Rally Fueled by DeFi Demand and Volume
    May 20, 2025
    Price predictions 5/19: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
    Price predictions 5/19: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
    May 20, 2025
    Bitcoin trading in six-figure territory shows BTC is ready to carry gold’s ‘baton’ — Fidelity exec
    Bitcoin trading in six-figure territory shows BTC is ready to carry gold’s ‘baton’ — Fidelity exec
    May 20, 2025
    Binance wants arbitration for all members of securities class suit
    Binance wants arbitration for all members of securities class suit
    May 20, 2025
    US Senate moves forward with GENIUS stablecoin bill
    US Senate moves forward with GENIUS stablecoin bill
    May 20, 2025
  • Technology
    TechnologyShow More
    How to Improve Your Spotify Recommendations
    How to Improve Your Spotify Recommendations
    August 18, 2024
    X says it’s closing operations in Brazil
    X says it’s closing operations in Brazil
    August 18, 2024
    Supermoon set to rise: Top tips for amateur photographers | Science & Tech News
    Supermoon set to rise: Top tips for amateur photographers | Science & Tech News
    August 18, 2024
    Scientists Want to See Videos of Your Cat for a New Study
    Scientists Want to See Videos of Your Cat for a New Study
    August 18, 2024
    OpenAI’s new voice mode let me talk with my phone, not to it
    OpenAI’s new voice mode let me talk with my phone, not to it
    August 18, 2024
  • Entertainment
  • Sports News
  • People
  • Trend
Reading: Lockheed Martin gets DARPA, NASA contract to build nuclear-powered rocket
Share
Font ResizerAa

News Junction

  • World News
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Trend
  • Entertainment
Search
  • Recent Headlines in Entertainment, World News, and Cryptocurrency – NewsJunction
  • World News
  • Business
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports News
  • People
  • Trend
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
News Junction > Blog > Technology > Lockheed Martin gets DARPA, NASA contract to build nuclear-powered rocket
Lockheed Martin gets DARPA, NASA contract to build nuclear-powered rocket
Technology

Lockheed Martin gets DARPA, NASA contract to build nuclear-powered rocket

Published July 27, 2023
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Comment

Lockheed Martin on Wednesday won a contract to build a nuclear thermal rocket engine, a key technology long coveted by both NASA and the Pentagon that could dramatically speed up space travel and help humans get to Mars.

Under the contract, issued by NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, the Defense Department unit that seeks to develop transformative technologies, Lockheed Martin will work to first fly the engine by 2027. If the aerospace giant meets all the milestones, including the test flight, it would receive nearly $500 million, with half coming from NASA and half from DARPA.

NASA is keenly interested in nuclear thermal power for missions to Mars. Using today’s chemically fueled rockets, flights to the Red Planet could take up to seven months or more, which would potentially expose astronauts to long periods of radiation. Having humans cooped up in confined spaces for months could also lead to mental health issues and disagreements among crew members.

One of the main challenges of sending humans to Mars is the great distance between the planets. Earth and Mars are only on the same side of the sun every 26 months. But even at their closest points, a spacecraft aiming for Mars would have to follow a long elliptical orbit around the sun totaling hundreds of millions of miles.

“In order for our country, for our species, to further explore space we need changes in more efficient propulsion,” Kirk Shireman, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of lunar exploration campaigns, told reporters Wednesday. “Higher thrust propulsion is really, really important. And I think we’re on the cusp of that here.”

In a statement, NASA said that nuclear propulsion “is a key capability on NASA’s road map to send astronauts to Mars. A nuclear-powered rocket would enable faster trips to the Red Planet, making missions less complex and safer for crew. This type of engine requires significantly less propellant than chemical rockets, so missions would be able to carry additional scientific equipment.”

The Pentagon is also interested in more efficient fuel sources for space travel, especially as it seeks to build satellites that can maneuver in space, making them more difficult for adversaries to target. DARPA said the technology would help move “larger payloads into farther locations in cislunar space — the volume of space between the Earth and the moon.” Doing that, it said, “will require a leap-ahead in propulsion technology.”

Nuclear thermal power uses a fission-based nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen to an extremely high temperature and then shoot the gas through an engine nozzle to create thrust. Lockheed Martin said that for safety reasons, the reactor would not be turned on until the spacecraft has reached a safe orbit.

Officials said during a briefing Wednesday that the test engine would be launched from Cape Canaveral on either SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket or the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan-Centaur rocket, the two vehicles that currently hold national security launch contracts. Lockheed is partnering with BMX Technologies to develop the reactor and produce the fuel.

#Lockheed #Martin #DARPA #NASA #contract #build #nuclearpowered #rocket

TAGGED:buildcontractDARPALockheedMartinNASAnuclearpoweredRocket
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article Fed approves hike, interest rates rise to highest level in more than 22 years Fed approves hike, interest rates rise to highest level in more than 22 years
Next Article Judge suggests IRS issued K refund over tax lawsuit based on quality of lawyers: Report Judge suggests IRS issued $4K refund over tax lawsuit based on quality of lawyers: Report
- Advertisement -

Latest Post

6.3% Rally Fueled by DeFi Demand and Volume
6.3% Rally Fueled by DeFi Demand and Volume
Cryptocurrency
Is Trump walking away from peace in Ukraine? | US News
Is Trump walking away from peace in Ukraine? | US News
World News
Price predictions 5/19: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
Price predictions 5/19: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin trading in six-figure territory shows BTC is ready to carry gold’s ‘baton’ — Fidelity exec
Bitcoin trading in six-figure territory shows BTC is ready to carry gold’s ‘baton’ — Fidelity exec
Cryptocurrency
How the U.S. is Tapping a Much Bigger Well in The Middle East
How the U.S. is Tapping a Much Bigger Well in The Middle East
World News
Binance wants arbitration for all members of securities class suit
Binance wants arbitration for all members of securities class suit
Cryptocurrency
- Advertisement -

You Might Also Like

Ring camera won’t help share footage with police departments any more
Technology

Ring camera won’t help share footage with police departments any more

January 27, 2024
Gene therapy costing over £1.6m is approved for NHS patients with inherited blood disorder | UK News
Technology

Gene therapy costing over £1.6m is approved for NHS patients with inherited blood disorder | UK News

August 8, 2024
Digitized Board Game Consoles : board game console
Technology

Digitized Board Game Consoles : board game console

September 2, 2023
Network Rail uses Google AI to assess trackside biodiversity
Technology

Network Rail uses Google AI to assess trackside biodiversity

August 14, 2023

About Us

NEWS JUNCTION (NewsJunction.xyz) Your trusted destination for global news. Stay informed with our timely and accurate reporting on diverse topics, including politics, technology, science, entertainment, sports, and more. Count on us for unbiased and reliable updates at your fingertips.

Quick Link

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact

Top Categories

  • World News
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Sports News
  • Trend
  • People

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    © 2023 News Junction.
    • Blog
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    Welcome Back!

    Sign in to your account

    Username or Email Address
    Password

    Lost your password?