NASA plans to send people to Mars thanks to an unusual technology

NASA plans to launch the Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom spacecraft, weighing about 12 tons, in late 2028 to test a nuclear reactor as a propulsion source for future crewed missions to Mars. The spacecraft will be equipped with a closed Brayton cycle reactor using low-enriched uranium, generating up to 20 kW of power to feed a Hall effect ion thruster. The launch is tied to a rare astronomical window that opens once every 26 months.

NASA plans to launch the Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom spacecraft, weighing about 12 tons, in late 2028 to test a nuclear reactor as a propulsion source for future crewed missions to Mars. The launch is tied to a rare astronomical window that opens once every 26 months. The spacecraft will be equipped with a closed Brayton cycle reactor using low-enriched uranium, generating up to 20 kW of power to feed a Hall effect ion thruster. This is not about landing on Mars: the spacecraft will perform a flyby, release scientific equipment, and continue its journey to verify the reliability of the nuclear propulsion system. Unlike radioisotope generators used on Voyager and Mars rovers, SR-1 uses a controlled nuclear reaction. The spacecraft will be based on the Power and Propulsion Element module developed for the lunar Gateway station, with an additional radiation shield.