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Nasa to Test Nuclear Rockets that Could Fly Astronauts to Mars in Record Time

posted by hubie on Friday January 27, @08:19AM   Printer-friendly

fliptop writes:

The project, in concert with US government agency DARPA, aims to develop pioneering propulsion system for space travel as soon as 2027:

The project is intended to develop a pioneering propulsion system for space travel far different from the chemical systems prevalent since the modern era of rocketry dawned almost a century ago.

"Using a nuclear thermal rocket allows for faster transit time, reducing risk for astronauts," Nasa said in a press release.

[...] Using current technology, Nasa says, the 300m-mile journey to Mars would take about seven months. Engineers do not yet know how much time could be shaved off using nuclear technology, but Bill Nelson, the Nasa administrator, said it would allow spacecraft, and humans, to travel in deep space at record speed.

[...] Using low thrust efficiently, nuclear electric propulsion systems accelerate spacecraft for extended periods and can propel a Mars mission for a fraction of the propellant of high-thrust systems.

Also at CNN and Engadget. Link to Nasa press release.

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  • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday January 27, @02:28PM (1 child)

    by HiThere (866) on Friday January 27, @02:28PM (#1288912) Journal

    True, it's velocity that is related to the square of the speed of the ejecta. It's still a quite significant difference. (OK, momentum too. But for figuring transit time velocity is the relevant one.)

    I'm not quite clear on the limitations of the "nuclear-electric rocket" that they're proposing, though. My first guess was some fancy development of the ion-rocket, in which case it could run for a long time, but wouldn't produce that much thrust. However if they're ejecting reactor mass, you likely wouldn't want to use it where the exhaust could enter an atmosphere.

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  • (Score: 2) by crafoo on Friday January 27, @02:50PM

    by crafoo (6639) on Friday January 27, @02:50PM (#1288919)

    well, the nuclear rocket project was pretty cool, but yeah I think it was a vacuum engine not designed for atmosphere use. https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/historic-facilities/rockets-systems-area/7911-2/ [nasa.gov]

    Pretty sure this new project is something new, but we have tried to use nuclear power for rockets and we even prototyped it out many decades ago.