Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) technology, under development since 1955, offers significant advantages for space missions by reducing crew transit times and increasing safety margins. BWX Technologies has announced that its reactor and fuel will be key components in the world's first demonstration spacecraft using NTP, as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. Working with Lockheed Martin, BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC will finalize the reactor design, manufacture its hardware and fuel, assemble the components, and deliver the fueled reactor for integration. This NTP system, using High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel, heats a super-cold gas like liquid hydrogen to create thrust, enabling efficient propulsion. The spacecraft is slated for a 2027 launch, with the reactor activated above low Earth orbit. This technology promises to cut months out of the journey to Mars which would drama...