THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NUCLEAR-POWERED ROCKET ENGINE FOR A MISSION TO MARS

NASA began working with the Pentagon

The American space agency 'NASA' is developing a nuclear-powered rocket engine in collaboration with the Department of Defense (Pentagon) to take astronauts to Mars.

According to the French news agency AFP, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says that the space agency will develop advanced nuclear thermal technology by 2027 with a team from the Pentagon's research agency.

NASA began working with the Pentagon

Bill Nelson added that this new technology will make it possible to travel to space and back to Earth faster.

Nuclear thermal rockets are three times more effective than conventional rockets, and they will also assist shorten travel durations, which are crucial for space missions.

DARPA Director Stephanie Tompkins says that NASA has a long history of successful partnerships, with nuclear thermal rockets essential for short-duration missions to the Moon and people to Mars.

NASA began experiments 50 years ago to develop rockets powered by nuclear thermal technology, but the program had to be abandoned due to tensions and budget cuts during the Cold War.