Marty Chiaverini, director of Propulsion Systems at Sierra Space. “We are really excited about the team dynamic with GA-EMS,” said Dr. Compared to conventional space propulsion technologies, NTP offers a high thrust-to-weight ratio around 10,000 times greater than electric propulsion and two-to-five times greater specific propellant efficiency than chemical propulsion. NTP uses a nuclear reactor to heat propellant to extreme temperatures before expelling the hot propellant through a nozzle to produce thrust. Theoretically we should be able to reach other planets nearly twice as fast with nuclear propulsion, placing less strain on the human body and the environmental systems needed for space travel.” “Faster, more fuel efficient propulsion and transportation systems support greater awareness of the cislunar space domain and broader exploration of our solar system. “This technology is an essential component of the new space economy,” said Tom Crabb, vice president of Sierra Space’s Propulsion & Environmental Systems group. While the primary mission of DRACO is to enable fast transit time between Earth and the moon, the development of nuclear powered spacecraft propulsion is also expected to open up deep space exploration to humans. GA-EMS and Sierra Space will develop and demonstrate an on-orbit NTP system for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program called Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO). LOUISVILLE, Colo., J– Sierra Space, the new commercial space subsidiary of global aerospace and national security leader Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), will supply the propulsion components and integration services for a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) system under a recent contract with General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS). SIERRA SPACE PROVIDES INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR NEW NUCLEAR PROPULSION SYSTEM AS PART OF DARPA’S DRACO PROGRAM There is more information on the planned system in the full press release below. Its high thrust-to-weight ratio can allow faster travel through space. Nuclear propulsion has many advantages over traditional propulsion for long-duration deep space missions. Working on integration and propulsion systems is right up Sierra Space’s alley as they are a regular contractor for NASA and private spaceflight companies alike. They have played a role in hundreds of space missions and are preparing their next-generation space plane, Dream Chaser, for launch in 2022. Sierra Space is a recent subsidiary of the Sierra Nevada Corporation and was formerly the space division of the company.
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