[ExI] US military eyes nuclear thermal rocket

[BillK]

US military eyes nuclear thermal rocket for missions in Earth-moon space
By Mike Wall    30 Sep 2020

DARPA awarded a $14 million task order to help make it happen.
<https://www.space.com/darpa-nuclear-thermal-rocket-for-moon-contract>

Quote:
NTP systems use fission reactors to heat propellants such as hydrogen
to extreme temperatures, then eject the gas through nozzles to create
thrust. This tech boasts a thrust-to-weight ratio about 10,000 times
higher than that of electric propulsion systems and a specific
impulse, or propellant efficiency, two to five times that of
traditional chemical rockets, DARPA officials wrote in a description
of the DRACO program.
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NASA is enthusiastic as well as they need something better than
chemical rockets for space travel.

BillK