Well, Good Evening! Let's take a look at the big news that's broken since our morning edition. So, let's dig in, shall we? |
Here's What You Need To Know... |
The United States plans to test a spacecraft engine that is powered by nuclear fission by the year 2027 |
NASA will be partnering up with the U.S. military's research and development agency, DARPA, to work on a nuclear thermal propulsion engine to be launched into space by the year 2027. This is part of a long-term effort to create more efficient ways of getting astronauts to the planet Mars. "If we have swifter trips for humans, they are safer trips," said NASA deputy administrator and former astronaut Pam Melroy. NASA officials believe that nuclear thermal propulsion is a crucial step in sending humans beyond the moon and farther into space. With the technology, engineers say that a trip to Mars would take about 4 months, versus the 9 months it would take without it. This would also ultimately reduce supply consumption that would be needed to make such a trip. Here’s the first step that the agency plans to take in March to achieve these goals. |