BTX技术

2023年7月26日

BTX技术将提供核反应堆和燃料。洛克希德·马丁公司将Shanklin | 2023年7月26日下午一点NASA和美国国防部高级研究计划局选择航空航天和国防公司洛克希德·马丁公司开发一个航天器与核热火箭引擎。在1月宣布,计划——BWX技术将提供反应堆和燃料——被称为敏捷月地操作的演示火箭(德拉科)。评级机构旨在展示科技不晚于2027年着眼于未来的火星任务。核热推进(国家结核控制规划)有几个优势化学推进火箭。首先,它是两到五倍更有效率,让船跑得更快更远和更大的灵活性。此外,它降低了推进剂需要在飞船留下更多的空间来存储科学设备和其他必需品。对于中止场景,它还提供了更多选择,核引擎更容易改变快回程的船的轨迹。这些因素共同构成国家结核控制规划(也许)火星旅行的理想方法。“这些更强大和有效的核热目的地之间推进系统可以提供更快的运输时间,”柯克Shireman说,月球探测活动洛克希德·马丁公司副总裁。 “Reducing transit time is vital for human missions to Mars to limit a crew’s exposure to radiation.” NASA / DARPA The NTP system will use a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen propellant rapidly to extremely high temperatures. That gas is funneled through the engine’s nozzle, creating the ship’s thrust. “This nuclear thermal propulsion system is designed to be extremely safe and reliable, using High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel to rapidly heat a super-cold gas, such as liquid hydrogen,” BWX said today. “As the gas is heated, it expands quickly and creates thrust to move the spacecraft more efficiently than typical chemical combustion engines.” Subscribe to the Engadget Deals Newsletter Great deals on consumer electronics delivered straight to your inbox, curated by Engadget’s editorial team. See latest Subscribe Please select a newsletter By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy . To help quell concerns about radioactive leaks in the Earth’s atmosphere, NASA and DARPA plan not to power up the reactor until the ship has reached a “nuclear safe orbit,” where any tragedies would occur outside the zone where it would affect Earth. The agencies aim for a nuclear spacecraft demonstration by 2027, launched from a conventional rocket until it reaches “an appropriate location above low earth orbit.” Nuclear reactors will also likely play a key role in powering future Martian habitats, with NASA testing small and portable versions of the tech as far back as 2018. Before NTP propels the first humans to Mars, it could find use on much shorter flights, as nuclear-powered spacecraft could also make transporting material to the Moon more efficient. “A safe, reusable nuclear tug spacecraft would revolutionize cislunar operations,” said Shireman. “With more speed, agility and maneuverability, nuclear thermal propulsion also has many national security applications for cislunar space.” View All Comments