Written by Daniel Boyette<\/p>\n
Nuclear propulsion and power technologies could unlock new frontiers in missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA has reached an important milestone advancing nuclear propulsion that could benefit future deep space missions by completing a cold-flow test campaign of the first flight reactor engineering development unit since the 1960s.<\/p>\n
\u201cNuclear propulsion has multiple benefits including speed and endurance that could enable complex deep space missions,\u201d said Greg Stover acting associate administrator of NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cBy shortening travel times and expanding mission capabilities, this technology will lay the foundation to explore farther into our solar system than ever before. Information from the cold-flow test series is instrumental in understanding the operational characteristics\u00a0and fluid flow performance\u00a0of nuclear reactors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teams at the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, conducted more than 100 tests on\u00a0 the engineering development unit over several months in 2025. The 44-inch by 72-inch unit, built by BWX Technologies of Richmond, Virginia, is a full-scale, non-nuclear, flight-like development test article the size of a 100-gallon drum that simulates propellant flow throughout the reactor across a range of operational conditions.<\/p>\n
The cold-flow tests at NASA Marshall are the culmination of a multi-year activity for the agency and its industry partners. Key test objectives included simulating operational fluid-dynamic responses, gathering critical information for design of the flight\u00a0instrumentation and control system,\u00a0providing crucial validation\u00a0of\u00a0analytical tools, and\u00a0serving\u00a0as a pathfinder for manufacturing, assembly, and integration\u00a0of near-term flight-capable nuclear propulsion systems.<\/p>\n
Other benefits to space travel include increasing the science payload capacity and higher power for instrumentation and communication.<\/p>\n
Test engineers were able to demonstrate that the reactor design is not susceptible to destructive flow-induced oscillations, vibrations or pressure waves that occur when a moving fluid interacts with a structure in a way that makes the system shake.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing more than proving a new technology,\u201d said Jason Turpin, manager of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at NASA Marshall. \u201cThis test series generated some of the most detailed flow responses for a flight-like space reactor design in more than 50 years and is a key steppingstone toward developing a flight-capable system. Each milestone brings us closer to expanding what\u2019s possible for the future of human spaceflight, exploration, and science.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Space Nuclear Propulsion Office is part of NASA\u2019s\u00a0Technology Demonstration Missions\u00a0Program within the agency\u2019s\u00a0Space Technology Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n
Learn more about NASA\u2019s technology advancements:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/space-technology-mission-directorate\/<\/a><\/p>\n