US EditionNASA Completes First Nuclear Propulsion Tests Since 1960s
NASA's tests validated fluid dynamics and structural stability of a non-nuclear reactor, supporting future Mars missions with nuclear thermal propulsion's higher efficiency.
- At NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, engineers completed a cold-flow test campaign of the first full-scale flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s, built by BWX Technologies to simulate propellant flow, producing detailed data on vibrations and pressure waves over several months.
- To de-risk reactor behaviour, the campaign aimed to validate analytical tools, flight instrumentation and control systems, and advance nuclear thermal propulsion to boost payload and shorten transit times.
- Material and simulator testing confirmed DOE and industry partnerships advanced low-enriched fuels surviving 4,600°F, while General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems exposed reactor fuel to 4,220°F hydrogen flows for 20 minutes and 2,600 Kelvin over six cycles.
- After DRACO's end, officials moved responsibility to NASA, with cold-flow results guiding manufacturing and boosting industry interest in near-term nuclear propulsion systems.
- Budget pressures persist after the FY2026 budget cut removed $531 million from NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, canceling DRACO funding, while NASA's crewed Mars plans face technical hurdles and cost concerns soon.
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Nuclear rocket engine for Moon and Mars
The European Space Agency commissioned a study on European nuclear thermal propulsion that would allow for faster missions to the Moon and Mars than currently possible. The Alumni study was carried out by the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Agency (CEA), ArianeGroup, and Framatome Space, together with ESA. The Alumni study concluded on the merits of nuclear propulsion in space and proposed a new nuclear thermal propulsion design and
NASA Tests Nuclear Rocket Engine Designed for Faster Deep-Space Missions
NASA has completed its first full-scale nuclear rocket reactor tests since the 1960s, marking a major milestone for deep-space propulsion. More than 100 cold-flow tests validated hydrogen flow and system stability. Nuclear thermal rockets could significantly reduce travel time, radiation exposure, and payload constraints for future Moon and Mars missions.
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