NASA and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) have selected Lockheed Martin to develop a nuclear thermal rocket engine spacecraft. The initiative, dubbed the Flexible Circular Operations Demonstration Rocket (DRACO), was announced in January, and the agencies aim to demonstrate the technology no later than 2027 with an eye toward future missions to Mars.

Nuclear thermal engines (NTEs) have a number of advantages over chemical-fueled rockets. They are two to five times more efficient, allowing ships to travel faster and further with greater maneuverability. In addition, due to the smaller volume of fuel, there is more space on board the spacecraft to store scientific equipment and other necessary items. Also, NSDs allow for more flight interruption scenarios, as they can be used to change the spacecraft's trajectory for a quick return. All of these factors combine to make the NSD an ideal method of traveling to Mars.

The NRV system would use a nuclear reactor to rapidly heat hydrogen fuel to extremely high temperatures, and this gas would be expelled through an engine nozzle, creating thrust for the ship.

To reduce the risk of leaking radioactive materials into the Earth's atmosphere, NASA and DARPA plan not to activate the reactor until the ship reaches a "nuclear safe orbit" where any problems will not affect the Earth. The agencies hope to demonstrate a nuclear spacecraft by 2027, launched from a conventional rocket.

This move by NASA and DARPA is an important step in the development of space travel technologies that could contribute to future missions to Mars and the development of astronautics. The introduction of nuclear thermal engines could make flights to Mars more efficient and faster, opening up new horizons for space exploration and ambitious interplanetary missions. This cooperation between NASA, DARPA and Lockheed Martin can bring new achievements in astronautics and open a new page in the history of the universe.