PEGASUS: A multi-megawatt nuclear electric propulsion system
Conference
·
OSTI ID:6097300
A propulsion system (The PEGASUS Drive) consisting of a magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster driven by a multimegawatt nuclear power system is proposed as the propulsion system for a manned Mars mission. The propulsion system described is based on a mission profile containing a 510-day burn time (for a mission time of approximately 1000 days). Electric propulsion systems have significant advantages over chemical systems, because of high specific impulse, lower propellant requirements, and lower system mass. The thermal power for the PEGASUS Drive is supplied by a boiling liquid-metal fast reactor. The system consists of the reactor, reactor shielding, power conditioning, heat rejection, and MPD thruster subsystems. It is capable of providing a maximum of 8,5 megawatts of electrical power of which 6 megawatts is needed for the thruster system, 1.5 megawatts is available for spacecraft system operations and inflight mission applications, leaving the balance for power system operation.
- OSTI ID:
- 6097300
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8606184-
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220800* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Propulsion Reactors
COMPRESSORS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
MAGNETOPLASMA COMPRESSORS
MARS SPACE PROBES
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
POWER
POWER CONDITIONING CIRCUITS
POWER RANGE 1-10 MW
POWER REACTORS
POWER SUPPLIES
PROPELLANTS
PROPULSION REACTORS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RADIATION PROTECTION
REACTORS
SHIELDS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
THERMODYNAMICS
THRUSTERS
VEHICLES
220800* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Propulsion Reactors
COMPRESSORS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
MAGNETOPLASMA COMPRESSORS
MARS SPACE PROBES
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
POWER
POWER CONDITIONING CIRCUITS
POWER RANGE 1-10 MW
POWER REACTORS
POWER SUPPLIES
PROPELLANTS
PROPULSION REACTORS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RADIATION PROTECTION
REACTORS
SHIELDS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
THERMODYNAMICS
THRUSTERS
VEHICLES