I am surprised this hasn’t gotten much notice on Twitter:
Independent Headline: US military awards contracts for nuclear spacecraft propulsion
Subheadline: The Pentagon awarded deals to companies with a mix of tested and radical designs
Ultra Safe Nuclear is researching a next generation form of radioisotope battery, which uses the decay of radioactive isotopes, such as americium-241 , or plutonium-238, to generate electricity.
Similar technologies have provided the electricity for Nasa missions into deep space, such as the Voyager, Cassini, and New Horizons spacecraft. The statement says Ultra Safe Nuclear’s technology could yield 10 times the power of existing radioisotope systems.
Avalanche energy, meanwhile, is developing a compact fusion reactor it calls the Orbitron.