NASA, DARPA’s DRACO Project Will Test Nuclear Thermal Propulsion in Late 2025 or Early 2026

NASA and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are set to launch the DRACO spacecraft. The anticipated event will happen in less than three years to support its space exploration mission.

NASA, DARPA for the DRACO Project

The US space agency and DARPA teamed up for the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) project. Its goal is to conduct an in-space test of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP). This potentially ground-breaking technology might aid humanity in colonizing Mars and other far-off planets, Space.com reported.

The DRACO project is not new. DARPA initiated the program in 2021. NASA joined in early 2023. The two agencies initially aimed to launch the program's first in-space demonstration by 2027. However, the schedule may have increased as they are now eyeing a new target launch window - late 2025 or early 2026.

The DRACO spacecraft will be built by Lockheed Martin. The aerospace company received a $9.1 million Tipping Point grant from NASA.

In a previous report from Science Times, ten other companies received various amounts for a total of $150 million to develop technology and infrastructure supporting the Artemis mission.

The vice president of Lockheed Martin Lunar Exploration Campaigns said in a press conference that to support their space exploration mission, they're going to put this together, fly the demonstration, collect a ton of useful data, and ultimately, usher in a new era for the United States [and] for humanity.

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More About the DRACO Project

To create the HALEU ("high-assay low-enriched uranium") fuel for the DRACO spacecraft's nuclear reactor, Lockheed has partnered with the Virginia-based business BWX Technologies.

During today's briefing, team members said the spacecraft will travel to a pretty high orbit above Earth, perhaps between 435 and 1,240 miles (700 and 2,000 kilometers). The DRACO demonstrator won't fall to Earth from such heights for at least 300 years due to air drag, which will give it enough time to burn down all of its nuclear fuel before it hits the ground.

The DRACO vehicle's nuclear engine won't be turned on until it reaches orbit since the mission team will go to great lengths to ensure safety during the ascent. A "poison wire," a piece of metal that absorbs neutrons to stop them from starting a chain reaction, will be installed in the engine before launch. According to team members, the poison wire functions similarly to control rods in nuclear power reactors found on Earth.

It is anticipated that DRACO will stay in orbit for a few months. No scientific instruments are being launched; instead, "operation" involves using its NTP engine to show that it can operate in space for extended periods.

The duration they can maintain the hydrogen cryogenic is their life-limiting element, according to Tabitha Dodson, DRACO program manager at DARPA, at today's briefing. It demonstrates the nuclear thermal rocket engine and the on-orbit storage of cryogenic liquid hydrogen.