Resolves YES if a Nuclear Thermal Rocket (a rocket propelled using heat from a nuclear reaction) reaches space (defined as the Karman line, 100km altitude) before 2027. Otherwise NO.
Background:
NASA, DARPA to launch nuclear rocket to orbit by early 2026
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/nuclear-thermal-propulsion/index.html
It is necessary for the rocket to have a propulsion system based on nuclear power.
It is not necessary that the nuclear propulsion system works. If a rocket with nuclear propulsion (like the DRACO demonstrator) reaches space but the nuclear propulsion system fails, that would still count as YES.
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I am totally cheering for this program and very confident that NASA & DARPA will pull it off eventually, but... this is aerospace, and a legitimately new technology demonstration, plus all the extra hassle around "nuclear" anything... no way is it gonna hit the deadline. Crossing my fingers for "before 2029"? Maybe 2030?
Nuclear engines are primarily useful in space. There are no plans I am aware of to launch a rocket to space using nuclear thermal; the DRACO demonstrator will only activate its nuclear engine once in orbit. Will this market resolve YES if a rocket reaches space using chemical propulsion, and subsequently demonstrates nuclear propulsion in orbit?
@AdamKaufman Yes, that counts. I made some tweaks to the criteria to better describe this scenario.
I believe the tweaks are still in line with the original criteria, if anyone objects let me know.