// PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND ENGINE TECHNOLOGY TERM
Project Orion
Project Orion was a US government study for a spacecraft propelled by a series of nuclear explosions. Small atomic bombs would be detonated behind a massive metal plate, pushing the ship forward with each blast.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Project Orion was a US-led study in the late 1950s and 1960s, managed by General Atomics under ARPA, exploring nuclear pulse propulsion for spacecraft. This external pulsed plasma propulsion (EPPP) concept involved detonating a series of fission or fusion devices behind a 'pusher plate' with a shock absorption system, enabling high-thrust and high-specific impulse for rapid interplanetary or interstellar travel.
BACKGROUND
Nuclear pulse propulsion or external pulsed plasma propulsion is a hypothetical method of spacecraft propulsion that uses nuclear explosions for thrust. It originated as Project Orion with support from DARPA, after a suggestion by Stanisław Ulam in 1947. Newer designs using inertial confinement fusion have been the baseline for most later designs, including Project Daedalus and Project Longshot.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- nuclear pulse propulsion
- nuclear bomb rocket
- pusher-plate concept
- atomic spaceship
- EPPP
- external nuclear pulse
USAGE NOTE
Though canceled due to treaties banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere and space, Project Orion remains a benchmark concept for high-performance, large-scale space exploration.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Project Orion.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is managing the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, the primary U.S. effort to build and test a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) vehicle, a modern successor concept to Orion for high-speed in-space travel.
Was the prime contractor for the original Project Orion in the 1950s and 60s. While no longer working on nuclear pulse propulsion, the company continues to be a leader in advanced nuclear technologies, including fusion energy research and advanced fission reactors.
Researches and funds various advanced in-space propulsion concepts, including Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) and Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP), to enable future crewed missions to Mars. NASA is a key partner in the DARPA-led DRACO program.
A leading manufacturer of nuclear reactors and fuel. BWXT was selected by DARPA to design and build the nuclear reactor and fabricate the HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) fuel for the DRACO demonstration engine.
Serving as the prime contractor for the DRACO program, Lockheed Martin is responsible for the design, development, and integration of the spacecraft that will be propelled by the nuclear thermal engine.
A private company developing advanced nuclear systems, including its own concept for a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine. USNC has received contracts from NASA and the DoD to advance its engine design and proprietary ceramic micro-encapsulated fuel.
A startup developing compact fusion reactors. While not directly Orion, their goal of creating small, modular fusion devices has been cited for potential applications in deep space propulsion, representing a modern approach to the goals of nuclear pulse propulsion.
A U.S. national laboratory with deep historical roots in nuclear weapons and reactor design. LANL continues to perform foundational research on materials, fuels, and reactor concepts applicable to advanced space nuclear propulsion systems.