The US military is getting serious about nuclear thermal propulsion:
[...] the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced its intent to have a flyable nuclear thermal propulsion system ready for a demonstration in 2025.
Through this Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, or DRACO program, the defense agency seeks technology that will allow for more responsive control of spacecraft in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, and everywhere in between, giving the military greater operational freedom in these domains.
"Activity in cislunar space is expected to increase considerably in the coming years," Tabatha Thompson, a DARPA spokeswoman, told Ars. "An agile nuclear thermal propulsion vehicle enables the DOD to maintain Space Domain Awareness of the burgeoning activity within this vast volume."
In "Phase 1" of its solicitation, DARPA has asked industry for the designs of both a nuclear thermal reactor and an operational spacecraft upon which to demonstrate it. This initial phase of the program is to last 18 months. Subsequent phases will lead to detailed design, fabrication, ground tests, and an in-space demonstration. No contracts have yet been awarded, and award values will be determined by industry submissions.
The propulsion system is thought to make travel around the Solar System quicker.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @12:15PM (1 child)
It would be more likely to run on uranium.
NASA built and ground tested these rockets in the 70s. They worked and were ready to fly. They were canceled because Nixon hated the space program and didn't want to go to Mars, and if NASA had an engine that made going to Mars practical, then Congress might decide to do it.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Thursday June 18 2020, @01:16PM
It would be lighter and more compact if it ran on plutonium, though. Good luck trying to cool it directly with hydrogen, though. Could you have a liquid sodium primary coolant loop? That might make it too heavy and complicated.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].