Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) program’s reactor transportation support

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeks sources for the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) program’s reactor transportation support efforts as outlined below:

Source is to identify an available option for radioactive packaging that is currently licensed by the Department of Energy (DOE) or Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for transportation of a nuclear reactor over public roadways and across state lines. The container must be a certified Type A fissile or Type B fissile radioactive packaging. The reactor, being the primary component of the NTR engine, will range between 3000 kg and 5000 kg in weight, and measure approximately 1m in diameter x 2.5m in length.

The source must meet licensing, availability, internal enveloping, routing, and payload requirements specific to those of the DRACO NTR reactor. The source must perform the safety basis development, Safety Analysis Report (SAR) amendment, Certificate of Compliance (CoC) revision, and associated technical support required to use the identified packaging to transport the DRACO reactor unit from BWX Technologies (BWXT) performer site to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) launch site.

To facilitate market research, the Government is seeking to identify qualified sources under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541715. A contract is anticipated to be awarded to a single firm with a period of performance beginning in FY24. The contract is planned to take place over a 36-month duration.