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Lockheed Martin to Build Nuclear Powered Spacecraft

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the giving-it-all-she's-got-kiptin dept.

LouisvilleDebugger writes "The BBC reports that Lockheed Martin have received a $6M contract to develop the nuclear powered JIMO, or Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter. (According to the NASA project site, the first probes would not launch before 2011 due to development lead time.) On arrival at Jupiter, the extra power allows the probe to orbit each of three of the Galilean moons (Ganymede, Callisto, and most challenging from a radiation exposure standpoint, Europa) in turn, presumably helping to establish the possibility of liquid water and hence, life within the Jovian system. JIMO is a sub-project of Project Prometheus, initiated by NASA this year for the purpose of demonstrating that nuclear powered and propelled spacecraft may be safely designed and tested."

8 of 334 comments (clear)

  1. laaadiidads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    falksjdlg;haskjgh :)

  2. FP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Is THIS Junis's grandad?

  3. where are they launching it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    big baadaa booom

  4. Liquid water, and hence, life. by joshtimmons · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    That's a pretty strong statement. Is the current thinking these days that we find liquid water, then life *must* also be present?

    1. Re:Liquid water, and hence, life. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I have SARS.

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    DAILY REMINDER: Hillary Clinton doesn't just stand by...she actively works to offshore American High-Tech!

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  7. Bah, Lisp did that 30 years ago by harmonica · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Oops, wrong story!