Nuclear power has lost its favor in much of the world, but the sky is the limit when it comes to outer space.
The U.S. government is drawing on the experience of Jeff Bezos ’Blue Origin space company, General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy and other companies to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft that can travel faster and to Mars and beyond.
NASA and the Department of Energy awarded three $ 5 million contracts to produce reactor design concepts that could be used to transport people and cargo to Mars or drive scientific missions to the outside of the solar system, he said. reported this Tuesday the space agency.
Defense contractors Lockheed Martin Corp. and Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., as well as drone manufacturer General Atomics and BWX Technologies Inc., which manufactures nuclear components and fuels, are among the companies involved in the effort.
“These design contracts are an important step toward tangible reactor hardware that could one day drive exciting new…