News & Analysis

We publish our arguments.

Dark Fission's leadership writes regularly on propulsion technology and space policy. The full pieces live where they were published; the arguments start here.

Forbes · April 2026

Our Nation's Space Nuclear Policy Needs All Three Of Its Legs

NSTM-3 is the most significant space nuclear policy document in decades, and it funds fission surface power, nuclear electric propulsion, and their common components while providing no programmatic path to an NTP engine. Why the cheap-launch rationale for sidelining NTP doesn't survive scrutiny, and what an intermodal national strategy looks like.

LinkedIn · 2026

NEP is not faster: what the trajectory math actually says

Claims that nuclear electric propulsion beats NTP on trip time depend on specific architectural assumptions. We built a validated comparison tool and published the honest version of the answer.

Congressional white paper · March 2026

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: A Focused, Fast Initiative for 2030 Operations

Congress appropriated ~$120M for NTP in FY2026; the question is whether NASA's execution will deliver measurable progress toward on-orbit operations. Dark Fission's three-step, flight-first plan: DARK SCOUT regulatory pathfinder, DARK RANGER proto-OTV, and the DARKFORCE OTV, plus the two ground-test campaigns that retire the most technical risk per dollar, and why outyear funding, not just FY2026, has to be protected from diversion.