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Propulsion technologies are the key to exploring the outer solar system, and many organizations have been working on novel ones. One with a long track record is the Ad Astra Rocket Company, which has been developing its Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) system for decades. However, this type of electric propulsion system requires a lot of energy, so the company has opted for a unique tie-up for a power plant that could solve that problem \u2013 a nuclear reactor. Ad Astra has recently entered into a strategic alliance with the Space Nuclear Power Corporation, or SpaceNukes, responsible for developing the Kilopower reactor, a 1kW nuclear reactor for use in space missions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n There are plenty of synergies to justify such a tie-up between the companies, but let\u2019s look at each of their technologies, in turn, to understand why. VASIMR, the propulsion system Ad Astra has been working on for more than 20 years, is a magnetoplasma rocket, a type of electric propulsion system. Ion drives are the most commonly known form of electric propulsion and are known for being exceptionally fuel efficient. They aren\u2019t powerful enough to lift a craft out of a planet\u2019s gravity well, but once in space with little gravitational pull, they shine at long bursts of slow acceleration that translate into massive speeds when engaged for long enough.<\/p>\n The problem is they need lots of power to do so. They must ionize their fuel, which requires a significant amount of energy, and that energy is hard to come by when not connected to a power grid. Current solutions utilize either solar panels, which would require a massive area to provide enough power to something like VASIMR, or a radioisotope thermal generator (RTG), which has been in common use for years to power the systems of different spacecraft, including Voyager and Perseverance, but isn\u2019t capable of providing enough power for a viable electric propulsion system.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n