Fission Fragment Rockets - A New Frontier

Conference · Tue Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6329833

Chapline, G. F. ^[1]; Howard, W. M. ^[2]; Schnitzler, B. G. ^[2]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

A new reactor concept is described which would enable fission fragments to be continuously extracted from the reactor. Such a reactor has the potential of enabling extremely energetic and ambitious deep space missions. In this talk the basic physics issues involved in the operation of this type of reactor are outlined, and some possible applications to space exploration are described.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48; AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6329833
• Report Number(s): UCRL-98319; CONF-890406-14; ON: DE89011637
• Resource Relation: Conference: Fifty Years with Nuclear Fission Conference, Gaithersburg, MD (United States), 25-28 Apr 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FISSION FRAGMENTS
USES
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
A CODES
AMERICIUM 242
CALIFORNIUM 251
CURIUM 245
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FIBERS
FISSILE MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
KINETIC ENERGY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLUTONIUM 239
REACTOR CORES
ROCKETS
URANIUM 235
URANIUM CARBIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CALIFORNIUM ISOTOPES
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
COMPUTER CODES
CURIUM ISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENERGY
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MOBILE REACTORS
NUCLEAR FRAGMENTS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
Fission Fragments
Space Propulsion Reactors
Kinetic Energy
Rocket Propellants
Highly Fissile Isotopes
Fissile Fuels
ALICE Monte-Carlo Neutronics Code
450202* - Explosions & Explosives- Nuclear- Weaponry- (-1989)
220800 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Propulsion Reactors