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Title: NASA's nuclear electric propulsion technology project

Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has initiated a program to establish the readiness of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) technology for relatively near-term applications to outer planet robotic science missions with potential future evolution to system for piloted Mars vehicles. This program was initiated in 1991 with a very modest effort identified with nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP); however, NEP is also an integral part of this program and builds upon NASA's Base Research and Technology Program in power and electric propulsion as well as the SP-100 space nuclear power program. The NEP Program will establish the feasibility and practicality of electric propulsion for robotic and piloted solar system exploration. The performance objectives are high specific impulse (200 greater than I(sub sp) greater than 10000 s), high efficiency (over 0.50), and low specific mass. The planning for this program was initially focussed on piloted Mars missions, but has since been redirected to first focus on 100-kW class systems for relatively near-term robotic missions, with possible future evolution to megawatt-and multi-megawatt-class systems applicable to cargo vehicles supporting human missions as well as to the piloted vehicles. This paper reviews current plans and recent progress for the overall nuclear electric propulsion projectmore » and closely related activities. 33 refs.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. NASA, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
OSTI Identifier:
6909214
Report Number(s):
AIAA-Paper-92-3705; CONF-920747-
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 28. joint propulsion conference, Nashville, TN (United States), 6-8 Jul 1992; Other Information: Previously announced in STAR as N92-32463
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; NASA; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS; EARTH PLANET; ELECTRIC POWER; MARS PLANET; ORBITS; PROPULSION SYSTEMS; SPACE FLIGHT; SPACE VEHICLES; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; MOBILE REACTORS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PLANETS; POWER; POWER REACTORS; PROPULSION REACTORS; REACTORS; SPACE POWER REACTORS; US ORGANIZATIONS; VEHICLES; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 210600* - Power Reactors, Auxiliary, Mobile Package, & Transportable

Citation Formats

Stone, J R, and Sovey, J S. NASA's nuclear electric propulsion technology project. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Stone, J R, & Sovey, J S. NASA's nuclear electric propulsion technology project. United States.
Stone, J R, and Sovey, J S. 1992. "NASA's nuclear electric propulsion technology project". United States.
@article{osti_6909214,
title = {NASA's nuclear electric propulsion technology project},
author = {Stone, J R and Sovey, J S},
abstractNote = {The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has initiated a program to establish the readiness of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) technology for relatively near-term applications to outer planet robotic science missions with potential future evolution to system for piloted Mars vehicles. This program was initiated in 1991 with a very modest effort identified with nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP); however, NEP is also an integral part of this program and builds upon NASA's Base Research and Technology Program in power and electric propulsion as well as the SP-100 space nuclear power program. The NEP Program will establish the feasibility and practicality of electric propulsion for robotic and piloted solar system exploration. The performance objectives are high specific impulse (200 greater than I(sub sp) greater than 10000 s), high efficiency (over 0.50), and low specific mass. The planning for this program was initially focussed on piloted Mars missions, but has since been redirected to first focus on 100-kW class systems for relatively near-term robotic missions, with possible future evolution to megawatt-and multi-megawatt-class systems applicable to cargo vehicles supporting human missions as well as to the piloted vehicles. This paper reviews current plans and recent progress for the overall nuclear electric propulsion project and closely related activities. 33 refs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6909214}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992},
month = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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