That something is nuclear propulsion. Essentially, a nuclear rocket engine is a reactor that has hydrogen running through it as a propellant, which is heated to an astonishing 3,000 K (2,727 °C, 4,940 ...

The Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine combustor during a 251-second hot fire test in fall 2023. Photo: NASA NASA just put its new propulsion system to the test, powering a 3D-printed rotating ...

Engineers from Ohio State University are developing a new way to power rocket engines, using liquid uranium for a faster, more efficient form of nuclear propulsion that could deliver round trips to ...