Dark Fission Space Systems

We're going to go build a nuclear thermal rocket with private sector money, something the government has not been able to do for 60 years. Think SpaceX for moving cargo around the solar system.

Created: 2022-04-16

Updated: 2024-03-09

Company - Dark Fission Space Systems

Founded
Country: 2022; USA

Funding: ?

Website: https://darkfission.space

Social

Product/Service

Classification: In-Space Transportation

Category: Transport Service (LEO-GEO)
Orbital Transportation
Nuclear Fission Power

Fields: Nuclear Propulsion

Status: Development

First launch: Not announced

Very innovative class of nuclear thermal rocket engines.

Our design team is closing in on a conceptual design for the heart of Dark Fission's nuclear thermal rocket - its reactor. Going in, we knew we had to come up with a coupled reactor and engine design that was extremely lightweight, with a thrust level appropriate for an initial space demonstration (and thorough system characterization) but scalable to higher levels without substantial rework. We're proud of what the team's accomplished to date - we have a very novel design which more than meets our mass constraint (this is very important, because a kilo we can't shave off is a kilo we have to carry with us on each and every mission over the rocket's lifetime), and shows great promise for scalability.

Status Comment / Notes

Accepted into the Creative Destruction Lab Space Stream for 2023-24.

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