Nuclear-powered rocket tests will begin as early as 2027. According to NASA, a nuclear-powered spacecraft will be safer for crews than traditional rockets. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s because it will reduce the time it takes for pilots to reach Mars, thus minimizing the risks to crew members during the journey. NASA aims for a round trip to the Red Planet to take about two years if everything goes according to plan.

In the 1960s, the Saturn V rocket used kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel to launch astronauts to the moon. However, NASA’s DRACO project will utilize nuclear thermal propulsion technology. This means that the heat generated from nuclear reactions will ignite the liquid fuel, propelling the spacecraft. This technology is expected to be up to three times more fuel efficient compared to previous launch vehicles.