Lockheed Martin has been awarded a grant of $33.7 million by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance the Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-Orbit Nuclear (JETSON) program. The project aims to develop high-power nuclear electric power and propulsion technologies for spacecraft design. This comes in response to the increasing demand for improved spacecraft mobility, situational awareness, and power generation.
The JETSON initiative is currently in the preliminary design review stage and seeks to address the growing need for advanced space exploration missions, like those bound for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The project is a joint effort involving Lockheed Martin, Space Nuclear Power Corp (SpaceNukes), and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), all recognized for their expertise in nuclear power and reactor design.
Barry Miles, the program manager and principal investigator for JETSON at Lockheed Martin, emphasized the crucial role of nuclear fission development in space applications, anticipating transformative technologies that could redefine space exploration. He stressed Lockheed Martin’s commitment to collaborating with government agencies and industry partners to advance high-power electrical subsystems, electric propulsion, nuclear thermal propulsion, and fission surface power systems.
The core of the JETSON program centers on a fission reactor responsible for generating heat and transferring it to Stirling engines to produce electrical power ranging from 6 kWe to 20 kWe. This power capacity exceeds that of conventional solar arrays by a factor of four, providing a significant advantage for deep space exploration missions, especially in situations where continuous sunlight cannot be guaranteed.
Andy Phelps, CEO of SpaceNukes, highlighted the significance of JETSON, underscoring its potential to enhance maneuverability and power capabilities, shaping future space force operations. He pointed out that the United States has not deployed a reactor in space since 1965, making JETSON a groundbreaking leap in nuclear technology for both terrestrial and on-orbit applications.
The technology’s capability to deliver higher electrical output than conventional solar-powered spacecraft aligns with the growing demand for alternative power-generation methods. In scenarios where solar panels may be impractical, such as deep space missions or shadowed regions, nuclear electric-powered subsystems offer valuable additions to a company’s power-generation capabilities.
Safety remains a priority for JETSON, with careful consideration given to the handling of uranium before the fission process begins. The reactor remains inert and inactive during launch, ensuring it only initiates the fission process when the spacecraft is safely in a non-decaying orbit far from Earth.
The scope of the project’s development work will span various facilities across the country, including Lockheed Martin’s facility near Denver, AFRL’s facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, SpaceNukes’ facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and BWXT in Lynchburg, Virginia, with additional support from national labs, facilities, and suppliers in New Mexico.
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