BWX Technologies has been chosen under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program to provide its reactor and fuels for the first demonstration spacecraft that uses nuclear thermal propulsion.

The company’s subsidiary, BWXT Advanced Technologies, will collaborate with team lead Lockheed Martin to finalize and deliver the fueled nuclear reactor for the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, BWXT announced from its Lynchburg, Virginia headquarters on Wednesday.

BWXT Advanced Technologies President Joe Miller said that this selection reflects the organization’s ability to design and deploy nuclear reactors and fuel at an “unmatched” scale.

“This partnership with Lockheed Martin working for DARPA adds another important dimension to BWXT’s already-impressive line-up of nuclear reactor designs for commercial and defense applications,” he added.

As a collaborator, BWXT will support the launch of the DRACO spacecraft, which DARPA has planned for 2027. DRACO is designed to launch from earth by a conventional rocket with the reactor turned off, aligning with launch safety protocols. Once launched, the reactor will be powered on.

With the reactor’s propulsion-enabling energy, DRACO will be equipped to navigate through space at high speeds with agility over lengthy periods of time. The technology uses High Assay Low Enriched Uranium fuel to quickly heat super-cold gasses — such as liquid hydrogen — for safety and reliability. This process causes a quick expansion of the gas, creating thrust to propel the spacecraft more efficiently than chemical combustion engines.

“These more powerful and efficient nuclear thermal propulsion systems can provide faster transit times between destinations. Reducing transit time is vital for human missions to Mars to limit a crew’s exposure to radiation,” said Kirk Shireman, vice president of lunar exploration campaigns at Lockheed Martin Space.

Shireman said that the system is a “prime technology” to take humans and materials to the moon.

“A safe, reusable nuclear tug spacecraft would revolutionize cislunar operations,” he added.

The team will carry out the work primarily at BWXT’s Mt. Athos Road complex located near its Lynchburg headquarters.

The Defense Logistics Agency is developing a new strategy to protect U.S. troops and federal partners against disruptions caused by security vulnerabilities in the Department of Defense supply chain.

DLA said Monday it is developing and refining protective measures covering DLA systems and data; suppliers with access to controlled unclassified information, export control data and other DLA data; critical supplier operations; and other suppliers and systems involved in the DOD supply chain, DLA said Monday.

Peter Battaglia, director of DLA Logistics Operations’ Mission Assurance Directorate, said additional measures are needed to safeguard DLA’s technical quality data shared with defense suppliers.

“Say we’re providing our logistics data to one of the contract service suppliers that we operate with. We’re determining measures we can take to ensure they’re not going to lose our data, be it through malicious data breaches or inappropriate internal management,” he said.

The forthcoming strategy will also cover behavior-based security monitoring and cybersecurity expectations for suppliers that provide fuel and other critical items to the U.S. military.

Battaglia expects the strategy to be shared with major subordinate commands for feedback later this year.

Unmanned technology purveyor Edge Autonomy has opened its fourth location, as of this month, in Huntsville, Alabama.

With the establishment of the new facility, the company is looking to ramp up its production capabilities as well as tap into the reportedly plentiful opportunities available in the unmanned aerial vehicle market in Alabama, the San Luis Obispo, California-headquartered company said Tuesday.

John Purvis, CEO of Edge Autonomy, voiced the anticipation of the company to make an impact in Huntsville and explained that it is a nexus point for some critical Edge customers. He also depicted northern Alabama as a region with a “fast-growing tech sector,” positioning it as “one of the best locations to attract and retain the highly skilled manufacturing, technical, and engineering employees who will contribute to our mission.”

A key component in the location strategy is the proximity of Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Army garrison that serves the Department of Defense, NASA and the Department of Justice. Purvis says Redstone is a go-to authority on uncrewed aircraft and a significant client of Edge Autonomy, so a nearby production facility will be of prime use. In neighboring Redstone, Purvis feels customer service and responsiveness will be optimized.

The new office will be populated by technical, administrative and production staff and siphon talent from the surrounding areas. Alabamans are seemingly excited about this development: Congressman Dale Strong said in a statement that the opening of the facility will be mutually beneficial for both locals and the company.

“They are doing crucial work to support the warfighter with the most innovative capabilities…The company and I share the same belief, that innovation – no matter how small – creates a better world and a better Alabama!” Strong stated.

Earlier this year, Edge Autonomy brought on a new chief technology officer with Allen Gardner in January and installed Steve Adlich as its chief strategy officer in March.

In the wake of a merger with Jennings Aeronautics, the former UAV Factory rebranded as Edge Autonomy in Feb. 2022.