NASA is planning to use nuclear power for the first human trip to Mars - Earth.com

NASA is planning to use nuclear power for the first human trip to Mars • Earth.com

The space race has been revived, but this time, the goal post has been shifted much further – to Mars. As recent technological advancements promise to open new horizons of exploration, NASA plans to cut the travel time to Mars with a nuclear-powered spacecraft.

A trip to Mars currently takes approximately seven months, covering a staggering 300-million-mile journey. NASA, in collaboration with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA), now proposes an ambitious plan that hinges on the promise of nuclear thermal propulsion technology to reduce this duration significantly.

NASA aims to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft, known as DRACO (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations), into Earth’s orbit either by late 2025 or early 2026. The spacecraft, under construction by Lockheed Martin, a leading aerospace and defense company, will serve as a testbed for this groundbreaking technology.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that this technology “would allow humans to travel in deep space at record speed.” However, it remains unclear by how much the nuclear thermal propulsion technology can decrease the travel time.

DRACO is expected to provide a treasure trove of critical data that will usher in a new age of space exploration.

“We’re going to put this together, we’re going to fly this demonstration, gather a bunch of great data and really, we believe, usher in a new age for the United States [and] for humankind, to support our space exploration mission,” said Kirk Shireman, vice president of Lockheed Martin Lunar Exploration Campaigns.

A nuclear thermal rocket (NTR), the underpinning technology of the DRACO, boasts a thrust-to-weight ratio approximately 10,000 times greater than electric propulsion and two-to-five times more efficiency than in-space chemical propulsion.

The technology utilizes heat from a nuclear powered fission reactor to heat a hydrogen propellant, which then expands through a nozzle to provide thrust, propelling the spacecraft forward.

Apart from speeding up transit, the NTR propulsion system also promises increased safety for astronauts. Reduced travel duration translates into a decreased risk of exposure to deep-space radiation and a smaller logistical footprint due to the lesser quantity of supplies required for the trip. “If we have swifter trips for humans, they are safer trips,” said NASA deputy administrator and former astronaut Pam Melroy.

The history of NASA’s interest in nuclear propulsion dates back over six decades. The concept was first explored in the 1960s when Wernher von Braun, a pioneer of rocket technology, advocated for a Mars mission utilizing a nuclear propulsion system. Unfortunately, budgetary constraints and shifting priorities resulted in the abandonment of this vision in 1972.

But with the dawn of the new space age, NASA’s pursuit of the Red Planet has been rekindled. In collaboration with the US government, the space agency aims to expedite progress with the DRACO nuclear thermal rocket program.

“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,” commented Dr Stefanie Tompkins, director at DARPA.

The DRACO spacecraft is projected to be launched into a high orbit around Earth, between 435 and 1,240 miles (700 to 2,000 kilometers). The nuclear engine will only be ignited once the spacecraft is securely in orbit.

This high orbit strategy guarantees that the nuclear fuel is entirely spent before the spacecraft’s eventual re-entry to Earth, which is expected to take at least 300 years.

While the initial launch goal was set for 2027, recent developments have encouraged NASA and DARPA to shift the timeframe forward to as early as 2025. This ambitious undertaking underscores a new era in space travel, potentially making the concept of reaching Mars more feasible and efficient than ever before.

Mars, often known as the Red Planet due to its rust-colored appearance, is the fourth planet from the Sun in our solar system. Named after the Roman god of war, it has been the object of fascination and exploration for scientists for many years due to its potential for hosting life, both in the past and possibly in the future.

Mars is about half the size of Earth but has the same amount of dry land. It is much colder than Earth, with temperatures ranging from -195 degrees F in winter at the poles to 70 degrees F in summer near the equator. Mars has the largest dust storms in the solar system, capable of covering the entire planet and lasting for months.

The planet’s atmosphere is very thin, composed mainly of carbon dioxide (95%), with traces of nitrogen and argon. It lacks a magnetic field, which on Earth serves to protect us from harmful solar radiation. As a result, the surface of Mars is exposed to higher levels of radiation, which can be a challenge for human exploration and potential colonization.

One of the most striking features of Mars is its terrain, which includes the largest volcano and the deepest, longest canyon in the solar system. Olympus Mons, the volcano, is three times the height of Mount Everest, the tallest peak on Earth. The canyon, Valles Marineris, extends over 3,000 kilometers, making it much larger than the Earth’s Grand Canyon.

In terms of exploration, Mars has been the target of numerous spacecraft. In recent years, rovers like Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and most recently, Perseverance, have provided invaluable data about the planet’s geology, climate, and potential for past life. The next step is to put humans on Mars in the very near future using a nuclear-powered spacecraft.

The planet’s surface is rich in iron oxide – or rust – which gives it its characteristic reddish appearance. The presence of many dry riverbeds and polar ice caps (made from water and carbon dioxide) suggests that Mars once had a much warmer and wetter climate, more conducive to life as we know it.

The possibility of liquid water in the past, and thus the potential for life, has made Mars a prime target for future human exploration. The planned missions to Mars, such as NASA’s Artemis program and SpaceX’s Starship project, aim not only to land humans on Mars but also to establish a sustainable colony, marking a significant leap in our exploration of the cosmos.

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