Nuclear thermal rockets using indigenous Martian propellants
This paper considers a novel concept for a Martian descent and ascent vehicle, called NIMF (for nuclear rocket using indigenous Martian fuel), the propulsion for which will be provided by a nuclear thermal reactor which will heat an indigenous Martian propellant gas to form a high-thrust rocket exhaust. The performance of each of the candidate Martian propellants, which include CO2, H2O, CH4, N2, CO, and Ar, is assessed, and the methods of propellant acquisition are examined. Attention is also given to the issues of chemical compatibility between candidate propellants and reactor fuel and cladding materials, and the potential of winged Mars supersonic aircraft driven by this type of engine. It is shown that, by utilizing the nuclear landing craft in combination with a hydrogen-fueled nuclear thermal interplanetary vehicle and a heavy lift booster, it is possible to achieve a manned Mars mission in one launch. 6 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5523246
- Report Number(s):
- AIAA-Paper-89-2768; CONF-8907118-; TRN: 89-031325
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 25. American Society of Mechanical Engineers joint propulsion conference, Monterey, CA (USA), 10-13 Jul 1989
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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