Nuclear propulsion for the space exploration initiative

Conference · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:5085226

Stanley, M L ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (United States)

President Bush's speech of July 20, 1989, outlining a goal to go back to the moon and then Mars initiated the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). The US Department of Defense (DOD), US Department of Energy (DOE), and NASA have been working together in the planning necessary to initiate a program to develop a nuclear propulsion system. Applications of nuclear technology for in-space transfer of personnel and cargo between Earth orbit and lunar or Martian orbit are being considered as alternatives to chemical propulsion systems. Mission and system concept studies conducted over the past 30 yr have consistently indicated that use of nuclear technology can substantially reduce in-space propellant requirements. A variety of nuclear technology options are currently being studied, including nuclear thermal rockets, nuclear electrical propulsion systems, and hybrid nuclear thermal rockets/nuclear electric propulsion concepts. Concept performance in terms of thrust, weight, power, and efficiency are dependent, and appropriate concept application is mission dependent (i.e., lunar, Mars, cargo, personnel, trajectory, transit time, payload). A comprehensive evaluation of mission application, technology performance capability and maturity, technology development programmatics, and safety characteristics is required to optimize both technology and mission selection to support the Presidential initiative.

• OSTI ID: 5085226
• Report Number(s): CONF-911107-; CODEN: TANSA
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Vol. 64; Conference: 1991 Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) session on fundamentals of fusion reactor thermal hydraulics, San Francisco, CA (United States), 10-15 Nov 1991; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
CARGO
CONSTRUCTION
DECOMMISSIONING
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
MARS PLANET
NASA
NUCLEAR POWER
OPERATION
PLANNING
POLITICAL ASPECTS
PROPELLANTS
PUBLIC OPINION
SAFETY
SPACE TRANSPORT
SPACE VEHICLES
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
US DOD
US DOE
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MATERIALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PLANETS
POWER
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
TRANSPORT
US ORGANIZATIONS
VEHICLES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable