NASA Is FINALLY Building A Nuclear Engine

Chemical rockets have made it possible for us to launch satellites into orbit and land humans on the moon, but if we want to go further, into the solar system and beyond, we'll need a different kind of engine, and NASA has recently partnered with DARPA to build a new nuclear thermal propulsion engine named DRACO. If successful, it could change the trajectory of our future in space.

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LINKS LINKS LINKS:

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
2:10 - The DRACO Announcement
4:07 - Nuclear vs Chemical Fuel
5:24 - The Nuclear Advantage
7:40 - Nuclear Rocket History
9:27 - Environmental Concerns
11:14 - Beyond DRACO to Nuclear Pulse
13:50 - Sketch Madness!

[DeadDrop]

Doctor: "So you saw a plane flying without a propeller?....and who was flying it?"

Witness: ....the pilot. Too fuzzy to tell 😁

[gradeabrandon]

Isn’t weird to think there could’ve been an alternate reality where NERVA worked out and there are people on Mars already

[Sir_Uncle_Ned]

That gorilla costume idea was genius! It wouldn't work now because it's public knowledge, but at the time it was absolutely brilliant.

[angelpenarolo]

6:39 THE NUCLEAR ROCKET FROM KSP. As someone who has played ksp for a long time, im really hyped for this engine. I cant remember the last time i went interplanetary in ksp without a nuclear engine. Nuclear engines make interplanetary so much easier.

[fuckYTIDontWantToUseMyRealName]

I love the gorilla suit story. For years, I've told that one to everyone who will listen. Never knew his name, so thank you. Also, a new launch vehicle? SLS would be perfect for this.

[THX..]

NERVA was shut down for political reasons, otherwise it was basically ready for space when the program ended...IDK if the DRACO timescale is really feasible, but chances are high most of the engineering hurtles were completed with NERVA. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the DARCO engine is almost a direct copy of NERVA as the design was well proven. So 4 years for a working prototype may not be impossible.

[davelowman]

The nerva project had a 100% tested working engine, using this concept. That was more than 40 years ago so with modern updates. There's two ways the engine can produce thrust. Either cleanly with no radiation leakage or leaving a wake of fallout. Also without any oxygen on board for fuel the design is very stable in comparison. They should have been flying many years ago.

[forgotaboutbre]

In 2009 for my capstone project in my Aerospace Engineering bachelor's program we used a Nuclear Thermal Engine in our mission design. They braught a guy in from NASA to evaluate our presentations. When we made our presentation the NASA guy literally laughed in our faces at the suggestion of using a nuclear rocket. After all of these years I am finally vindicated.

[MarkKeller]

"Okay, so you're telling me that you saw a luminous tic tac shaped object that didn't have a propeller or jet intakes or exhausts hovering around and then moving very quickly away from your Super hornet fighter jet ... You can hear yourself right now, yes?"

[Max_Marz]

Mars in 45 days deserves a moment of silence to echo. Holy fuck that is an incredibly powerful thought to sit with. The kind of thing only Carl Sagan can put into words.

[ALTruckerDad]

The fact that NERVA was so close is likely how they expect to get the new one out so quickly. But as you say, time will tell.

[zacharythomas]

Hey Joe, just a note on specific impulse. It's not a time, it just simplifies to seconds when you cancel all the units. It's a measure of how much impulse (momentum) the rocket's fluid delivers per unit mass.

[rgerber]

The 'Clone' episode will probably always be my favorite. I still wonder if Joe's clones are still in his basement, or even if this is real Joe or some evolved clone of himself.

[__-pljg]

So nuclear pulsed propulsion is basically like rocket jumping in video games 🚀💥

[codyjacobs]

It might be ambitious, but as long as they're willing to move the timeline for the sake of safety then it keeps them working hard on it I think.

[Viper-dnix]

Got to hear DARPA, NASA, Lockheed and Rolls Royce talk about this at the annual Space Symposium today. Super cool concept and the fact that it can shave MONTHS off the flight profile to Mars is insane.

[mycosys]

Are you at all disappointed they didnt go for Modern Iteration Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications?

[DannyJoh]

Anyone else impressed that this dude could fly an experimental jet airplane wearing that bulky suit?

[wolf]

12:02 - love the way Joe went from quoting the projected Specific Impulse range of an Orion-type spacecraft to pointing at a launch of the Space Shuttle and a deadpan "four hundred and fifty."

[cartercordingley]

Hey Joe, I think the best acronym is for
Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) syndrome.
You definitely need to do a video on this.