Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $33.7 million contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop next-generation nuclear-reactor-powered spacecraft for the Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-Orbit Nuclear (JETSON) High Power program. The JETSON initiative aims to advance high-power nuclear electric power and propulsion technologies for space missions that extend beyond the inner solar system and have mission durations of years to decades.

Currently, missions beyond Jupiter's orbit require nuclear power to operate their systems, as chemical rockets and solar panels are limited in their capabilities. Lockheed's JETSON spacecraft will utilize a nuclear fission reactor coupled with electric propulsion Hall thrusters to power and propel the spacecraft. The reactor, based on NASA's 2018 Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) demonstration, will generate heat used to power a bank of Stirling heat engines, producing over three times more power than current spacecraft solar panels.

This advancement in nuclear fission development for space applications has the potential to revolutionize space exploration capabilities and change the way we navigate and explore the vastness of space. Lockheed Martin is collaborating with Space Nuclear Power Corp (SpaceNukes) and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) on the JETSON project, which is currently at the preliminary design stage.