Revolutionizing Nuclear Thermal Propulsion in Space with DRACO

Chemical propulsion has long been the standard for spaceflight, but for humans to reach Mars, we'll need a much more powerful and efficient propulsion. Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) engines offer thrust as high as conventional chemical propulsion with much higher efficiency.

[RCAvhstape]

About time. We had working nuclear thermal rockets 50 years ago before they got canceled. If you want aggressive exploration of the Solar System than nuclear is your only real option.

[romanmartinez]

Release the alien tech, I want to join star fleet already

[ruskiwaffle]

Lockheed Martin becomes even more based?!?!

[somedude]

Oh my god yes, finally. This should have been done 50 years ago, but better late than never I suppose.

[Daan_Music_]

This is incredible! I can't wait to see it in action, so many doors will be opened by this if it is a success!

[j.velgrynd]

Go lockheed! Defend our skies and then our space.

[Elcollpohorrible]

Even thou i am not a fan of the company, i have to admit that this is a cool idea and wishes the best of luck

[jhumurbala]

The nuclear propulsion can be used to create real interstellar spaceship

[shipofthesun]

Cool. Have you figured out how to keep components from falling off in flight?

[Kickbackske]

These guys have UFO's and theyre talking about nuclear propulsion?

[kokomanation]

You will need an engine in the opposite side to slow it down just in case

[Gnomezonbacon]

I swear to god if anyone cancels this a second time I will find out who canceled it and fry their kidney's on a bed of onions. This technology should NEVER have been canceled in the 70s. We could have been going around the system regularly for the last 50 years.

[rexzietsman]

I wonder if they could use CO2 as the "reaction mass" instead of hydrogen? There is plenty of CO2 on Mars...

[endlessendless]

Hopefully stick to the 2027 deadline. Not just a empty flex.

[StevenDarby-yp]

Yea draco as in alpha draconian yall not slick

[craigmackay]

China can resource back engineering ET craft better without the compartmentalisation, especially if they have a human operable craft from Russia.

[saltsunandtimestorage]

Maybe it needs another design to have gravity. A shuttlecock design? It can have a large ring around it where to creare gravity. Large rings can be usefull to carry fuel etc... also.

[JamesTrantham-pp]

I do not think this is new technology. Maybe SpaceX came up with something different with "SpaceX Draco", but this is almost 20th century technology..

[rjust]

It looks like Dyson vacuum. LOL
Nothing to sphear here 🤣🍀😜🇺🇲

[Arizona-exyt]

What does it expel to propel it? Not rocket fuel obviously. The only reason nuclear reactors produce electricity is because of steam that moves turbines.