In the USA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are working hand in hand on the development of a nuclear-powered rocket engine, designed to reduce the travel time of future missions to Mars.

In a nuclear thermal rocket engine, a fission reactor is used to generate extremely high temperatures. This helps to heat the liquid hydrogen being transported, which is then transformed into a high-temperature gas that can deliver very high thrust. These nuclear-powered rockets could be up to three times faster than a conventional chemical-propulsion model.

This engine will be used as part of the DRACO (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations) program, designed to develop a spacecraft optimized for long-distance missions.

Reducing travel time for this type of mission is an essential factor, since the longer the missions are, the more complicated they become to organize, particularly from a logistical point of view, to ensure all the astronauts’ needs are met.

Lockheed Martin is the company chosen to develop a spacecraft to house this innovative thruster. The aim is to be able to carry out a first demonstration in 2027.

For safety reasons, this type of propulsion will only be activated once the spacecraft is between 700 and 2,000 km from Earth. This type of mission is expected to last several months, a period that will inevitably be limited by the amount of liquid hydrogen on board. Increasing this storage capacity will be another challenge to address.