FASTER? PLEASE! NASA picks Lockheed Martin to develop nuclear rocket.

The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program may launch as soon as 2027, officials said on a call.

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems could cut journey times, increase fuel efficiency, and require less propellant, meaning future spacecraft could carry larger payloads than today’s best chemical rockets.

NTP works by pumping a liquid propellant, in DRACO’s case cryogenic hydrogen, through a reactor core, where uranium atoms split apart through fission.

The process super heats the propellant, converting it into a gas and funneling it through a nozzle to produce thrust.

“These more powerful and efficient nuclear thermal propulsion systems can provide faster transit times between destinations,” said Kirk Shireman, vice president of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin Space.

“Reducing transit time is vital for human missions to Mars to limit a crew’s exposure to radiation,” he added.

The ghost of Project Orion smiles.