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2026-08-29 -Land of the Free

Trump signs order creating new Space Academy akin to West Point, location to be determined

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Posted by Skidmark 2026-08-29 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [390 views ] Top

1 [AI]
NASA nuclear rocket engine

**NASA** is currently collaborating with **DARPA** on the **Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO)** program to test a **nuclear thermal rocket (NTR)** engine in space by **2027**. This initiative aims to validate advanced nuclear propulsion technology that offers **two to five times greater efficiency** than conventional chemical rockets, significantly reducing travel time for future **crewed missions to Mars**.

The DRACO spacecraft, led by **Lockheed Martin** for integration and **BWX Technologies** for the reactor, will use **high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU)** fuel. The engine operates by using a compact fission reactor to heat liquid hydrogen propellant to extremely high temperatures, which is then exhausted through a nozzle to generate thrust. This approach provides high thrust while doubling propellant efficiency, allowing for more cargo capacity and enhanced radiation shielding for astronauts.

This modern effort builds upon the legacy of the **NERVA** program (1961–1973), which successfully demonstrated nuclear thermal propulsion on the ground but was canceled before flight testing. Recent developments include **cold flow tests** of full-scale reactor cores at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, marking the first significant hardware testing of such systems since the 1960s. The successful demonstration of DRACO is intended to pave the way for operational nuclear thermal propulsion systems capable of supporting deep space exploration.

Posted by Skidmark 2026-08-28 14:11|| 2026-08-28 14:11|| Front Page Top

2 Will there be a 'cadet' program ?

(Sorry, it just hit me.)

Posted by Besoeker 2026-08-29 07:53|| 2026-08-29 07:53|| Front Page Top

3 Partial lunar eclipse wows millions

A Space Cadet in the U.S. Navy: Robert Anson Heinlein

Posted by Skidmark 2026-08-29 08:12|| 2026-08-29 08:12|| Front Page Top

4 @#2 - Hehe, I see what you did there!

Posted by DooDahMan 2026-08-29 09:02|| 2026-08-29 09:02|| Front Page Top

5 Space? How passé...

Astronomers making like Sybil
And libs like hysterical tribbles
By god-emperor smitten!
"So let it be written:
The Roof of America!" [scribble]

Posted by Angock Snaith9562 2026-08-29 12:07|| 2026-08-29 12:07|| Front Page Top

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