BWXT to Provide Nuclear Reactor Engine and Fuel for DARPA Space Project
July 26 2023 - 9:11AM
Business Wire
DRACO Program Will Demonstrate Nuclear Power’s
Ability to Propel Spacecraft
BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) today announced that its
reactor and fuel will be key components in the world’s first
demonstration spacecraft using nuclear thermal propulsion.
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the full release here:
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DARPA has selected BWXT and Lockheed
Martin to produce a nuclear-powered spacecraft. Image courtesy
Lockheed Martin. (Photo: Business Wire)
Working as part of a team led by Lockheed Martin, BWXT Advanced
Technologies LLC will complete final design of the nuclear reactor,
manufacture the reactor’s hardware and fuel, assemble the
components and deliver the fueled reactor as a complete subsystem
for integration into the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency’s (DARPA) Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar
Operations, known as DRACO.
The reactor’s energy will enable propulsion that allows DRACO to
maneuver through space with great speed and agility for an extended
period of time. This nuclear thermal propulsion system is designed
to be extremely safe and reliable, using High Assay Low Enriched
Uranium (HALEU) fuel to rapidly heat a super-cold gas, such as
liquid hydrogen. As the gas is heated, it expands quickly and
creates thrust to move the spacecraft more efficiently than typical
chemical combustion engines.
The spacecraft is targeted for a 2027 launch from Earth in
“cold” status (meaning that the reactor is turned off as a part of
launch safety protocols) by a conventional rocket, and then the
reactor will be powered on once the spacecraft attains an
appropriate location above low earth orbit.
“The award of this contract further demonstrates BWXT’s ability
to design, manufacture and deploy nuclear reactors and fuel on a
scale that is unmatched elsewhere in the world today,” said Joe
Miller, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC. “This
partnership with Lockheed Martin working for DARPA adds another
important dimension to BWXT’s already-impressive line-up of nuclear
reactor designs for commercial and defense applications.”
“These more powerful and efficient nuclear thermal propulsion
systems can provide faster transit times between destinations.
Reducing transit time is vital for human missions to Mars to limit
a crew’s exposure to radiation,” said Kirk Shireman, vice president
of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin Space. “This is a
prime technology that can be used to transport humans and materials
to the Moon. A safe, reusable nuclear tug spacecraft would
revolutionize cislunar operations.”
Work on this program will be conducted primarily at BWXT’s Mt.
Athos Road complex near Lynchburg, Virginia.
Forward Looking Statements
BWXT cautions that this release contains forward-looking
statements, including statements relating to the performance, scope
and timing of the nuclear thermal propulsion reactor and fuel
contract. These forward-looking statements involve a number of
risks and uncertainties, including, among other things,
modification or termination of the contract, delays or other
difficulties in the commencement or execution of the contract, the
expected duration of the contract and any changes to government
appropriations for the DRACO program. If one or more of these or
other risks materialize, actual results may vary materially from
those expressed. For a more complete discussion of these and other
risk factors, please see BWXT’s annual report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. BWXT cautions not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this
release, and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement, except to the extent required by
applicable law.
About BWXT
At BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT), we are People Strong,
Innovation Driven. Headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, BWXT is a
Defense News Top 100 manufacturing and engineering innovator that
provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security,
clean energy, environmental restoration, nuclear medicine and space
exploration. With approximately 7,000 employees, BWXT has 14 major
operating sites in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. In addition, BWXT
joint ventures provide management and operations at a dozen U.S.
Department of Energy and NASA facilities. Follow us on Twitter at
@BWXT and learn more at www.bwxt.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230726525537/en/
Media Contact Chris Dumond Communications Manager
434.522.5015 cmdumond@bwxt.com
Investor Contact Chase Jacobson Vice President, Investor
Relations 980.365.4300 investors@bwxt.com
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