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NASA Chooses Lockheed Martin To Build Nuclear Mars Rocket
The spacecraft will use a reactor from BWX Technologies to travel to the red planet.
NASA and DARPA have chosen Lockheed Martin to build a spacecraft featuring a nuclear rocket engine. The project is known as the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO), and should be ready for trials by 2027, in the hope that it will eventually be used for missions to Mars.
The rocket will use Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), which has several advantages over conventional chemical-powered engines. Nuclear power is up to five times more efficient than rocket fuel, which means that future spacecraft will be able to travel significantly further with a larger payload.
“These more powerful and efficient nuclear thermal propulsion systems can provide faster transit times between destinations,” explained Kirk Shireman, VP of Lunar Exploration Campaigns for Lockheed Martin. “Reducing transit time is vital for human missions to Mars to limit a crew’s exposure to radiation”.
The NTP system will use a nuclear reactor to rapidly heat hydrogen propellant to very high temperatures. The gas is then funneled through the engine’s nozzle, creating thrust. “This nuclear thermal propulsion system is designed to be extremely safe and reliable, using High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel to rapidly heat a super-cold gas,” explained reactor developers BWX Technologies. “As the gas is heated, it expands quickly and creates thrust to move the spacecraft more efficiently than typical chemical combustion engines”.
Also Read: Take A Balloon Journey To Space, Complete With Fine Dining!
To help alleviate concerns about radioactive leaks, NASA and DARPA will use a conventional rocket to take the new spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit before powering up the reactor after the ship has reached a safe distance.
News
HiFuture Wraps Up Successful GITEX GLOBAL 2024 Appearance
The electronics company wowed audiences at the world’s largest tech event with a range of wearable and smart audio devices.
This year’s GITEX GLOBAL 2024 in Dubai saw a huge number of startups, electronics firms, and innovators from around the globe gather for the tech sector’s largest event of its kind. One company making waves at this year’s expo was Chinese tech group HiFuture, which showcased a range of products with a focus on wearable technology and smart audio.
At the HiFuture booth, the company captivated attendees with cutting-edge smartwatches like the ACTIVE and AURORA, along with a range of powerful wireless speakers, earbuds, and even smart rings. Visitors were eager to check out the sleek new designs on offer and even had the chance to test out some of the products themselves.
Among the highlights were smartwatches combining dual-core processors with customizable options. The devices blended style and technology, offering health monitoring capabilities, personalized watch faces, and advanced AI-driven functionalities, giving attendees a taste of the future of wearable technology.
On the audio front, HiFuture’s wireless speakers left a lasting impression, offering rich, immersive sound in compact, portable designs. These speakers cater to both intimate gatherings and larger celebrations, offering versatility for users. Meanwhile, the company also showed off its Syntra AI technology, which it claims “revolutionizes health and fitness tracking by combining advanced optical sensors with intelligent algorithms for precise, real-time insights”.
Also Read: How (And Why) To Start A Tech Business In Dubai
The presence of HiFuture’s leadership team at GITEX 2024 underscored the importance of this event for the company, with CEO Levin Liu leading a team of executives, all keen to engage with attendees and offer insights into HiFuture’s vision, product development process, and future direction.
Overall, it seems that GITEX GLOBAL 2024 has been a rewarding experience for HiFuture. The enthusiasm and curiosity of attendees shown to the company’s diverse range of products was obvious, with the HiFuture team leaving on a high note and clearly excited and motivated by the event.
HiFuture Wraps Up Successful GITEX GLOBAL 2024 Appearance
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