Better, faster, stronger (7/27/23)

Good morning. Vibe check: how’s everybody feeling about the alien reveal (ahem, “non-human biologics” finding) from yesterday’s UAP hearing? Write in and let us know.

In today's edition...
💥 Nuclear engines to Mars
📉 Kleos goes under
📝 The contract report

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Lockheed Nabs $500M for Nuclear Rocket

Here is something for non-human biologics to spy on.

NASA and DARPA have chosen Lockheed Martin ($LMT) to develop the first nuclear-powered Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) for a demo as early as 2026, the trio announced Wednesday. The contract is valued at $499M, with funding split evenly between the two government agencies.

Lockheed Martin will build the spacecraft, and BWX Technologies will develop the nuclear fission reactor that will power the engine.

DRACO 101: NASA joined DARPA’s DRACO program in January to support the development of a nuclear-powered engine. NASA seeks to incorporate nuclear propulsion for future missions to Mars (Oppenheimer would be proud).

"This demonstration will be a crucial step in meeting our Moon-to-Mars objectives for crew transportation into deep space," said NASA official Pam Melroy.

It’s a nuclear world: The Lockheed spacecraft will be powered through nuclear thermal propulsion. NTP is the process in which a nuclear reactor acts as an engine combustion chamber, adding thermal energy to hydrogen propellant, causing it to expand through a nozzle and create thrust. Nuclear-powered rockets can be two to five times more efficient than legacy chemical systems.

The increased efficiency would reduce our travel time to Mars from seven months down to a few months.

Detailing the mission:

• The spacecraft will be loaded with 2,000 kg of hydrogen and 100 kg of low-enriched HALEU uranium.

• NASA will launch the Lockheed spacecraft in a standard-size fairing aboard an NSSL vehicle (Falcon 9 or Vulcan Centaur).

• The DRACO team will incorporate a fail-safe poison wire which can absorb neutrons and prevent a chain reaction in case the launch fails and the reactor falls in the ocean.

• The reactor will not be turned on until it reaches a nuclear-safe orbit between 700 and 2,000 km above Earth.

Once turned on, the DRACO team is hoping to achieve 800+ seconds of specific impulse (isp), the measure of rocket efficiency. For comparison, SpaceX’s Raptor engine has <400 seconds of isp.

“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 Lockheed VP Kirk Shireman.

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Kleos Space Files for Bankruptcy

Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based company monitoring RF signals from space for defense and intelligence, announced yesterday that it is filing for bankruptcy.

The company has not been able to raise the cash needed to progress a converting note advised on June 6, which followed Australia Securities Exchange (ASX) pausing trading on the company on May 3. Kleos’ principal creditor, Pure Asset Management Pty Ltd., alerted leadership on Tuesday that it was no longer willing to fund the company’s activities.

RF tracking from space: Kleos’ business centered on its three clusters of four satellites, each tasked with monitoring RF signals and pinpointing their locations across the Earth’s surface. The technology is useful for tracking ships and vehicles, and in 2022, ~60% of the company’s revenue came from US defense customers.

Kleos has been facing monetary and technological woes for a while now.

• In its 2022 results, Kleos reported losses of €11.3M ($12.5M) compared to revenues of €272,000 (~$300,000).

• The company also warned earlier this year that its satellites, designed for 5-year missions, would end up only continuing operations for about 18 months.

What now? Kleos’ principal creditor has called its loans due and payable immediately, and the company’s board acknowledged it isn’t able to pay off the debt. Kleos has already petitioned a local Luxembourg court for bankruptcy adjudication, and is pulling together the evidence required to close out the case.

In Other News

• The Senate is cracking down on outbound investments to China in certain industries, including satcom and hypersonics.

• Boeing ($BA) has lost $1.1B on Starliner so far, and has yet to announce an updated crewed flight date launch opportunity.

• SpaceX scrubbed a Falcon Heavy launch attempt and will try again tonight.

• Scottish authorities approved plans to build a spaceport on the island of North Uist.

• Chandrayaan-3 completed its fifth and final orbit-raising maneuver en route to the Moon.

The View from Space

OroraTech’s Forest-II wildfire-monitoring satellite is up and running following its launch on Transporter-8 last month. The first images it beamed home show a fire blazing in northern Alberta, Canada.