WASHINGTON -- NASA will fund 10 research proposals in the first series of contracts awarded under Project Prometheus, the agency’s effort to develop nuclear power and propulsion systems for spacecraft.
The 10 proposals are intended to develop new methods and technologies for converting heat from radioisotope fuel into electrical power, NASA announced. Nuclear power has the potential to dramatically reduce interplanetary travel time while boosting the amount of power available for science instruments.
"NASA is laying the foundation for several technology paths that could enable entirely new classes of missions, from networked science stations on Mars to small spacecraft capable of complex maneuvers in deep space using high-performance electric thrusters," George Schmidt, NASA program executive for radioisotope power systems, said in a statement. "These new technologies could greatly expand the nation's ability to conduct future robotic planetary exploration missions in deep space, or in mobile laboratories on the surfaces of planets and moons."
The total funding for the projects is $43 million over four years, NASA said. The agency has budgeted $13.4 million in 2003; $7.5 million in 2004; $16.9 million in 2005; and $5.2 million in 2006.
Each of the 10 teams will be funded during the first year, but funding for 2004 and 2005 will depend on program need, availability of funds, and contractor performance, the agency said. NASA did not divulge plans for the fourth year of funding.
NASA has yet to pin down a firm cost estimate for Project Prometheus and its first demonstration mission, the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter. NASA expects to spend $3 billion in the first five years of the program.
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