The key to Mars, Titan and beyond

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Planetary Report; (USA)

OSTI ID:6672364

Zubrin, R M ^[1]

---

1. Martin Marietta Astronautics Group, Denver, CO (USA)

This paper discusses the use of nuclear rockets using indigenous Mars propellants for future missions to Mars and Titan, which would drastically reduce the mass and cost of the mission while increasing its capability. Special attention is given to the CO2-powered nuclear rocket using indigenous Martian fuel (NIMF) vehicle for hopping around on Mars. If water is available on Mars, it could make a NIMF propellant yielding an exhaust velocity of 3.4 km/sec, good enough to allow a piloted NIMF spacecraft to ascent from the surface of Mars and propel itself directly to LEO; if water is available on Phobos, a NIMF spacecraft could travel to earth orbit and then back to Phobos or Mars without any additional propellant from earth. One of the many exciting missions beyond Mars that will be made possible by NIMF technology is the exploration of Saturn's moon Titan. A small automated NIMF Titan explorer, with foldout wings and a NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications) engine, is proposed.

• OSTI ID: 6672364
• Journal Information: Planetary Report; (USA), Vol. 10; ISSN 0736-3680
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
CARBON DIOXIDE
EXPLORATION
FUELS
MARS PLANET
METHANE
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PROPELLANTS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
ROCKET ENGINES
SPACE
ALKANES
ATMOSPHERES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ENGINES
HYDROCARBONS
MOBILE REACTORS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
VEHICLES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
220800* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Propulsion Reactors