The Department of Defense's Research and Development Agency Awarded Contracts to Three Companies to Build a Nuclear Spacecraft by 2025.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced, on Monday, that it Selected: Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin; General Atomics; and Lockheed Martin, for the First Phase of the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) Program:
- Blue Origin's is worth $2.5 Million.
- General Atomics's is worth $22 Million.
- Lockheed Martin's is worth $2.9 Million.
DRACO's Goal is to Build a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) System above Low Earth Orbit in 2025.
DARPA said the System will have High Thrust-to-Weight Ratios similar to Chemical Propulsion and have the High Propellant Efficiency of Electric systems.
The Companies will Participate in the First Phase of the Program, which will Last for 18 months.
Maj Nathan Greiner, USAF, Program Manager for DRACO, said in a statement, that the Phase is a "risk reduction effort that will enable us to sprint toward an on-orbit demonstration in later phases."
General Atomics will work on Track A, which is Designing an NTP Reactor and Concept for a Propulsion System.
NTP Systems Pump a Liquid Propellant, such as Hydrogen Gas, through a Reactor Core. The Heat released by Uranium Fission heats the Propellant, Converting it into a Gas, which is Expanded through a Nozzle to Produce Thrust.
Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin will work in Track B, Developing an Operational System Spacecraft Concept and Designing a Demonstration System Concept.
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