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NASA is working on it, but until there's a working engine available for private rockets it seems premature. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/rel
by bmcusick 9y ago
NASA is working on it, but until there's a working engine available for private rockets it seems premature.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2017/nasa-contracts-with-bwxt-nuclear-energy-to-advance-nuclear-thermal-propulsion-technology.html https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/201...
- ben_w 9y agoOrdinarily I would agree. However, this is Musk, and both SpaceX and Tesla have made progress beyond what most commentors have thought reasonable when the first press releases went out. I’d guess a 10%-30% chance SpaceX is already Skunkworks-ing some form of atomic rocket, either fusion or fission. Edit: and yes, that estimate is despite the public comments.
- bmcusick 9y agoWell you and I are just speculating, so who knows. But I sort of doubt it. People would have noticed if SpaceX was hiring nuclear engineers. I think they have enough R&D on their plate getting to full reusability.