US companies to develop nuclear-powered propulsion systems for space usage by 2027

The Defence Innovation Unit (DIU), which is part of the US government's Department of Defence (DoD), has taken new steps for the development of nuclear-powered systems. To make this happen, the DIU has awarded prototype Other Transaction (OT) contracts to two US-based companies- Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and Avalanche Energy. Under this contract, both the companies will develop next-generation compact fusion and next-gen radioisotope concepts which will be put up for an orbital demonstration in 2027. 

In an official statement by the DIU, it said that this will accelerate ground and flight testing for nuclear-powered prototypes and the concepts will demonstrate the next generation of nuclear propulsion and power capability for spacecraft. U.S. Air Force Maj Ryan Weed, who is also the Program Manager for the Nuclear Advanced Propulsion and Power (NAPP) program at DIU said, "Advanced nuclear technologies will provide the speed, power, and responsiveness to maintain an operational advantage in space". 

What are the under-construction nuclear propulsion concepts?

Both Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and Avalanche Energy will be testing technologies that would offer small spacecraft the ability to maneuver at will in cislunar space and enable high-power payload launch in future missions. The Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. will support DoD's NAPP program by developing a chargeable, encapsulated nuclear radioisotope battery (called EmberCore) for propulsion and power applications in space. 

The DIU says that this radioisotope system will have a longer life than the plutonium systems and will be more fuel-efficient. To be precise, it will generate power levels ten times greater than plutonium ones and provide over one million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy in just a few kilograms of fuel. 

Avalance Energy, on the other hand, will demonstrate a device called "Orbitron" that will generate either heat or electricity, which can power a high-efficiency propulsion system. According to the DIU, these devices are highly promising for usage in outer space as they can be reduced in size and fitted onto a spacecraft to act as both a propulsion and power source. 

Explaining the idea behind the NAPP program, the DIU said, "Future missions will demand more maneuverability and electrical power to expand the capabilities of spacecraft, allowing for orbital changes, methods to control or facilitate de-orbiting, the transfer of materials between orbits and solar shadow operations to name a few, etc".