An historical perspective of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine technology program. Final Report
Nuclear rocket research and development was initiated in the United States in 1955 and is still being pursued to a limited extent. The major technology emphasis occurred in the decade of the 1960s and was primarily associated with the Rover/NERVA Program where the technology for a nuclear rocket engine system for space application was developed and demonstrated. The NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) technology developed twenty years ago provides a comprehensive and viable propulsion technology base that can be applied and will prove to be valuable for application to the NASA Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). This paper, which is historical in scope, provides an overview of the conduct of the NERVA Engine Program, its organization and management, development philosophy, the engine configuration, and significant accomplishments.
- Research Organization:
- Analytical Engineering Corp., North Olmsted, OH (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5300038
- Report Number(s):
- N-91-27216; NASA-CR-187154; NAS-1.26:187154; AIAA-91-3451; CONF-9109226-; CNN: NAS3-25266
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: AIAA/NASA/OAI conference on advanced space exploration initiative (SEI) technologies, Cleveland, OH (United States), 3-4 Sep 1991; Other Information: Sponsored in part by NASA, AIAA, and OAI
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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NERVA REACTOR
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
REVIEWS
ROCKET ENGINES
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
GAS COOLED REACTORS
HYDROGEN COOLED REACTORS
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
POWER SUPPLIES
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
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