The NASA planned 2028 nuclear powered ion drive spacecraft, SR-1 Freedom will have a 20 kilowatt nuclear reactor. SR-1 ...
Installation of an Ion-X thruster for testing in a vacuum chamber. Credit: Cyril Fresillon C2N Ion-X CNRS Images SAN FRANCISCO – French propulsion startup Ion-X raised 13 million euros ($13.67 million ...
Space is unforgiving about inefficiency. Every kilogram launched costs somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000 depending on the vehicle – and that’s on a good day with a favorable contract. In that ...
Illustration of the Hall Thruster plumes impacting the carbon surfaces at the atomistic level. CREDIT Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Electric space ...
A new study explores the potential of nuclear fission-powered propulsion for advanced deep space exploration. Specifically, it looks at the way this technology could enable exploration to the outer ...