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Title: An historical perspective of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine technology program. Final Report

Abstract

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.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Analytical Engineering Corp., North Olmsted, OH (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5300038
Report Number(s):
N-91-27216; NASA-CR-187154; NAS-1.26:187154; AIAA-91-3451; CONF-9109226-
CNN: NAS3-25266
Resource Type:
Conference
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
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 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; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 220800* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Propulsion Reactors

Citation Formats

Robbins, W H, and Finger, H B. An historical perspective of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine technology program. Final Report. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Robbins, W H, & Finger, H B. An historical perspective of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine technology program. Final Report. United States.
Robbins, W H, and Finger, H B. 1991. "An historical perspective of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine technology program. Final Report". United States.
@article{osti_5300038,
title = {An historical perspective of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine technology program. Final Report},
author = {Robbins, W H and Finger, H B},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5300038}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991},
month = {Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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