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Solar thermal propulsion: the orbit-hopping tech NASA shelved in 2003 is finally commercializing
Original: This founder helped build SpaceX's most powerful rocket engine. Now he's building a 'fighter jet for orbit.'
AI Executive Summary
TechCrunch profiles Jeff Thornburg's path from SpaceX Raptor to Portal. Solar thermal propulsion was validated by NASA in the late 1990s but never commercialized due to lack of demand. Now orbital maneuvering is a national security imperative — Space Force Gen. Guetlein publicly cited China demonstrating "dogfighting" satellites. Portal also has a pathway to nuclear thermal propulsion: its HEX Thruster architecture needs only a reactor swap. Prior $45M government strategic investment confirms DoD sees the mission.