On this, I agree with Casagiannoni,
we need to find better ways of propulsion
for our spacecraft. Here is one.

from
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-darpa-will-test-nuclear-engine-for-future-mars-missions

Jan 24, 2023
RELEASE 23-012
NASA, DARPA Will Test Nuclear Engine for Future Mars Missions
DRACO-4-DARPA-NASA-USSF

Artist concept of Demonstration for Rocket to Agile Cislunar Operations
(DRACO) spacecraft, which will demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket
engine. Nuclear thermal propulsion technology could be used for future
NASA crewed missions to Mars.
Credits: DARPA

NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced
Tuesday a collaboration to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine
in space, an enabling capability for NASA crewed missions to Mars.

NASA and DARPA will partner on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile
Cislunar Operations, or DRACO, program. The non-reimbursable agreement
designed to benefit both agencies, outlines roles, responsibilities, and
processes aimed at speeding up development efforts.

“NASA will work with our long-term partner, DARPA, to develop and
demonstrate advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology as soon as
2027. With the help of this new technology, astronauts could journey to
and from deep space faster than ever – a major capability to prepare for
crewed missions to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“Congratulations to both NASA and DARPA on this exciting investment, as
we ignite the future, together.”

Using a nuclear thermal rocket allows for faster transit time, reducing
risk for astronauts. Reducing transit time is a key component for human
missions to Mars, as longer trips require more supplies and more robust
systems. Maturing faster, more efficient transportation technology will
help NASA meet its Moon to Mars Objectives.

Other benefits to space travel include increased science payload
capacity and higher power for instrumentation and communication. In a
nuclear thermal rocket engine, a fission reactor is used to generate
extremely high temperatures. The engine transfers the heat produced by
the reactor to a liquid propellant, which is expanded and exhausted
through a nozzle to propel the spacecraft. Nuclear thermal rockets can
be three or more times more efficient than conventional chemical propulsion.

“NASA has a long history of collaborating with DARPA on projects that
enable our respective missions, such as in-space servicing,” said NASA
Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Expanding our partnership to nuclear
propulsion will help drive forward NASA's goal to send humans to Mars.”

Under the agreement, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
will lead technical development of the nuclear thermal engine to be
integrated with DARPA’s experimental spacecraft. DARPA is acting as the
contracting authority for the development of the entire stage and the
engine, which includes the reactor. DARPA will lead the overall program
including rocket systems integration and procurement, approvals,
scheduling, and security, cover safety and liability, and ensure overall
assembly and integration of the engine with the spacecraft. Over the
course of the development, NASA and DARPA will collaborate on assembly
of the engine before the in-space demonstration as early as 2027.

“DARPA and NASA have a long history of fruitful collaboration in
advancing technologies for our respective goals, from the Saturn V
rocket that took humans to the Moon for the first time to robotic
servicing and refueling of satellites,” said Dr. Stefanie Tompkins,
director, DARPA. “The space domain is critical to modern commerce,
scientific discovery, and national security. The ability to accomplish
leap-ahead advances in space technology through the DRACO nuclear
thermal rocket program will be essential for more efficiently and
quickly transporting material to the Moon and eventually, people to Mars.”

The last nuclear thermal rocket engine tests conducted by the United
States occurred more than 50 years ago under NASA’s Nuclear Engine for
Rocket Vehicle Application and Rover projects.

“With this collaboration, we will leverage our expertise gained from
many previous space nuclear power and propulsion projects,” said Jim
Reuter, associate administrator for STMD. "Recent aerospace materials
and engineering advancements are enabling a new era for space nuclear
technology, and this flight demonstration will be a major achievement
toward establishing a space transportation capability for an Earth-Moon
economy.”

NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE), and industry are also developing
advanced space nuclear technologies for multiple initiatives to harness
power for space exploration. Through NASA’s Fission Surface Power
project, DOE awarded three commercial design efforts to develop nuclear
power plant concepts that could be used on the surface of the Moon and,
later, Mars.

NASA and DOE are working another commercial design effort to advance
higher temperature fission fuels and reactor designs as part of a
nuclear thermal propulsion engine. These design efforts are still under
development to support a longer-range goal for increased engine
performance and will not be used for the DRACO engine.

To learn more about STMD, please visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech

-end-

Sarah Frazier
Headquarters, Washington
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov

Tabatha Thompson
DARPA
703-526-2085
outreach@darpa.mil