Ad Astra and SpaceNukes partner to develop nuclear electric propulsion
HOUSTON - The Ad Astra Rocket Company in Houston and and SpaceNukes in Los Alamos, N.M. have announced a partnership to advance nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) technology for extraplanetary human and robotic missions. High-power NEP systems use significantly less propellant than chemical rockets and enable rapid solar system transportation without relying on depots or sunlight.
The collaboration combines Ad Astra’s two decades of experience with the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) and SpaceNukes’ Kilopower reactor technology, developed under NASA’s KRUSTY program and the Space Force’s JETSON initiative.
VASIMR differs from traditional electric propulsion systems, which operate at lower power levels of 1 to 50 kilowatts, by scaling up to hundreds of kilowatts or more. Its design also extends operational life and allows the use of a variety of propellants. Kilopower reactors, meanwhile, provide high-temperature capabilities, launch safety, and adaptability to high power needs, making them well-suited for integration with VASIMR. The combined system could reduce travel times and improve mission efficiency by directly coupling reactor power to propulsion systems.
The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and demonstrate NEP technologies, with plans to conduct a flight program by the end of the decade and commercialize the system in the 2030s.
"Nuclear Electric Propulsion will achieve game-changing performance via stepwise technology evolution. Our plan will begin with a 100 kW plus NEP system as a steppingstone to a less than 5 kg per kW multi-megawatt NEP system with the capability to reduce the round-trip human transit time to Mars from more than a year to a few months," said Dr. David Poston, chief technology officer of SpaceNukes.
Dr. Franklin Chang Díaz, CEO of Ad Astra, compared the breakthrough to nuclear-powered submarines: "High-power NEP will enable 'The Nautilus Paradigm' to extend into space, opening the entire solar system to human exploration. We are proud, through this alliance, to help lay the groundwork for this achievement."
Jamie Whitney
Jamie Whitney joined the staff of Military & Aerospace Electronics and Intelligent Aerospace. He brings seven years of print newspaper experience to the aerospace and defense electronics industry.
Whitney oversees editorial content for the Intelligent Aerospace Website, as well as produce news and features for Military & Aerospace Electronics, attend industry events, produce Webcasts, oversee print production of Military & Aerospace Electronics, and expand the Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics franchises with new and innovative content.
