Nerva lives again

[tomf]

Contracts have been awarded to build a reactor in space to revive nuclear propulsion.

https://spacenews.com/general-atomics-wins-darpa-contract-to-design-nuclear-reactor-to-power-missions-to-the-moon/

 

 

[kerbiloid]

Hail Caesar!

Spoiler

(Already mentioned in Q&A thread)

[wumpus]

Elsewhere I posted this (thus the fission/fusion notes.  It  was in a fusion thread):

In other news, NASA is paying BWXT ~$9.4M for one year's development of a nuclear thermal rocket.  Granted, I'm sure they are using fission, but it seems more likely than some powerpoint slides will progress quickly towards fusion.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/rocket-report-spacex-abandons-catching-fairings-ula-bets-on-upper-stages/

It appears to be a separate contract.

Edited April 13, 2021 by wumpus
fusion comments made no sense without context.