Research & Applications

The promise of nuclear thermal propulsion

BWXT is using advances in manufacturing and fuel to power exciting technology

March 11, 2020, 12:19PMNuclear NewsJud Simmons

The United States is pursuing the objective to land humans more than 100 million miles away on Mars, and nuclear power has the potential to be a key technology in getting to the Red Planet and providing power while there. Specifically, nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) is a promising approach that could enable astronauts to travel from Earth’s orbit to Mars and back in a fraction of the time, and with greater safety, than is available with other options.

To continue reading, log in or create a free account!

Related Articles

Remembering William A. Anders

June 20, 2024, 7:01AMNuclear News

William A. Anders, former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and a former member of the American Nuclear Society, died on June 7 at 90 years of age.In a June 18 statement, the NRC...

Commercial nuclear innovation "new space" age

April 26, 2024, 3:03PMNuclear NewsAlex Gilbert, Harsh S. Desai, and Jake Matthews

In early 2006, a start-up company launched a small rocket from a tiny island in the Pacific. It exploded, showering the island with debris. A year later, a second launch attempt sent a rocket...

BWXT announces nuclear manufacturing plant expansion

Investment banking on higher demand for SMR and large nuclear reactors

April 19, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News

BWX Technologies announced today plans to expand and add advanced manufacturing equipment to its manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.A $36.3 million USD ($50M CAD) expansion will...