A nuclear engine to go on Mars quickly soon tested by General Atomics and NASA?

There is in the air as a perfume of 1965 and racing to the moon, but towards Mars. The context is certainly different, but the geopolitical dimension always plays a major role. At the time, we had a variation in the fable The hare and the turtlewith in the role of the mammal leaping the USSR, which always had one step ahead, versus The United States under the heavy shell of the ancestral oviparus, very long to leave, but unstoppable in the last straight line. Will we see the same scenario with China in place of the USSR and Rebattus roles? Impossible to predict it …

The ideal nuclear propulsion to go quickly on Mars?

Certainly, the recent statements by Donald Trump concerning THE “Manifestal destiny” Americans To set foot on Mars sharpen appetites and encourage companies to offer new paths. Of course, all these projects will not be realized, and it is even possible that some only seek to obtain budgets and contracts.

The fact remains that the question of nuclear propulsion to carry out long journeys has been under study for decades. General Atomics has just officially announced that it has taken an important step. The technology developed here is different from that which we mentioned a few days ago, with regard to nuclear (NTP) and non -electric (NP) thermal propulsion.

The chemical propulsion of the rockets is a proven technology, very effective for short distances – let's say, to the moon. But for the deep space and the tens of millions of kilometers or more to go, this type of engine produces speeds that are not very compatible with the transport of human beings. Indeed, a round trip to Mars would take twice six months (round trip) and a year on site (while the planets are close enough to make the return journey). However, a year in space without effective protection against radiation poses real health problems and logistics linked to very complex survival to set up.

General Atomics has managed to heat nuclear fuel at 2400 ° C

Coming to another type of more effective propulsion, therefore faster, would rally the red planet in just 45 days. NASA has had many projects under study for years, notably Draco who announced a demonstration of nuclear rocket in 2027. Tired, these nuclear fission engines present a challenge for engineers, evidenced by General Atomics who has been working on it for over 60 years.

Among these challenges, one of the most notable is to heat the nuclear fuel at very high temperatures in the space vacuum. “The recent results of the tests represent a crucial step in the successful demonstration of fuel design for NTP reactorssaid Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. The fuel must survive extremely high temperatures and the warm gas hydrogen environment with which an NTP reactor operating in space would generally be confronted. We are very encouraged by these positive results proving that fuel can survive these operating conditions, bringing us closer to the realization of a safe and reliable nuclear thermal propulsion for cislunaire missions and in distant space. ”

An opponent in SpaceX in the race towards Mars or even the Moon?

Of course, Elon Musk's private space company, SpaceX, still has a considerable advance on the front of chemical propulsion launchers (Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Starship). The SLS rocket of Artemis missions is already up to the point, unlike starship or these NTP rocket projects. But if a technological leap was achievable in the years to come, SpaceX would then find unexpected competition, perhaps even for travel to the moon. For the moment, the company that collaborates with General Atomics is a certain Lockheed Martin, well known in particular for its very reliable Atlas launchers.