The draft NASA budget, proposed by the government of US President Donald Trump, involved the termination of the development of spatial nuclear engines. About this Write Arstechnica.
According to the publication, the reduction is the White House proposal to prevent NASA's participation in the protest for the Agile Cislunar (Draco) project, which is thought to be included in the universe of a necessary nuclear heat rocket engine for the next tasks.
The Draco program was implemented by NASA with the promising research project of the US Department of Defense. One of the contractors of the US Military Industry Group Lockheed Martin – said he received a notice from the Pentagon when closing Draco.
Although we are disappointed with this decision, it does not change our vision on how nuclear energy affects how we will explore and work in a large space, the company said.
Arstechnica noted that the main problem in creating a nuclear missile engine is the safety of ground tests. The publication emphasizes that modern safety requirements are much stricter than the 1960s when appropriate technology appears. According to the engineer of the Grega Moholik Space Group, the engine's emissions cleaning requires radioactive substances before launch, which can lead to the appearance of expensive and significant objects, to build and certify those years will occur.
NASA's NASA program on nuclear energy has not been completed. The Trump administration's proposal calls to continue funding for the part of the part -based energy production agency to create a nuclear reactor, which can provide energy on the basis of the moon surface or Mars.
In April, Spacenews reported the President's statement about the US L3Harris Technologies Christine Houston's factories and energy systems, whereby the cosmic nuclear energy technology and the engine factory were ready to overcome after decades of development, but their industrial implementation would require the participation of the State.
In July 2023, the same information portal said that NASA and office of the promising research projects of the US Department of Defense chose a nuclear engine created by Lockheed Martin for the launch of the Draco project to launch in close orbit.