Syndication Deal Analysis Tool 3 and The DRACO program
A deep dive into an investor's analysis tool and a nuclear spacecraft for Mars travel
Syndication Deal Analysis Tool
The Syndication Deal Analysis Tool is quite large and has a multitude of different tabs that each serve a purpose. I will define what these are below, along with sharing some images from the tabs so you get an idea of what the tool looks like.
Exit Strategy: This tab shows you the potential profits that can be made by selling the property at a certain time.
Returns: This tab calculates the different returns you get on this investment. This tab not only will calculate cash on cash returns and annual returns for the passive investors but it calculates the acquisition fees for the syndicator as well.
IRR: This tab is interesting because it calculates the Internal Rate of Return. This is not some simple calculation where you subtract expenses from income. This takes into account a multitude of different factors. See it below.
Loans: This tab shows you the cost of the mortgages that you might use and the expenses associated with that. It also shows the amortized payment schedule, factoring in refinancing.
2 Minute Analysis: This tab is a calculator within the calculator. It helps you calculate a potential deal in under 2 minutes. This is helpful when you are initially looking at a property and want to see if it is even worth your time.
Legal Notices: This is the legality of the program.
Change Log: This is the last tab and is a log of all of the changes that the SDA has gone through.
DRACO program
NASA has its eyes set for deep space exploration. The problem, however, is that it takes an extremely long time to go anywhere past the moon. Going to Mars takes around 6-9 months, depending on a number of different factors, and the engines used. That last part is the key. This is why NASA and DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, are looking to develop superior engines to the chemical ones we currently use. The partnership program is called DRACO, Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations. The main goal will be to create a rocket that will be ready in 2027 that will utilize nuclear engines. NASA is in charge of the engines and nuclear power while DARPA is in charge of the spacecraft. The engines of the spacecraft will be nuclear thermal powered. The way this works is that a nuclear reactor generates an insane amount of heat by splitting atoms in a reaction known as fission. This heat is then used to vaporize a liquid which is then ejected out the rocket engine. The liquid chosen for this spacecraft is liquid hydrogen. As expected, this engine generates radioactive materials, so the reactor will not be activated until it is well in orbit. For even more safety measures, the orbit will be high enough so that if the rocket looses power and is no longer functioning, it will remain in a high enough orbit so that by the time it naturally crash lands back on Earth, the nuclear waste would have decayed into a stable element. This is estimated to be at a 700 km orbit and would take 300 years. For reference, the International Space Station is at about 400 km.
Phase 2 is already underway, which includes all of the main critical design reviews. The companies who were awarded contracts to build these are Lockheed Martin and BWX Technologies. It is believed that a nuclear rocket will cut the time to Mars in half. Not only is this an amazing feat considering a 6 month journey now only takes 3 months, but the return trip is also minimized. Astronauts will be exposed to less radiation and other dangers in space. After the Artemis moon missions in the 2020s, NASA hopes this rocket will be available in the 2030s for their planned Mars Missions.
Artist concept of Demonstration for Rocket to Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) spacecraft, Credit: DARPA
resources:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/irr.asp#:~:text=What%20Is%20IRR%3F,a%20discounted%20cash%20flow%20analysis.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-darpa-will-test-nuclear-engine-for-future-mars-missions/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonstration_Rocket_for_Agile_Cislunar_Operations
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/07/darpa-nasa-tap-lockheed-martin-to-design-build-draco-nuclear-rocket-for-deep-space-missions/