Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: Past Accomplishments, Present Efforts, and a Look Ahead
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 2
Abstract
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been actively involved in nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) technology development, mission, engine, and vehicle design dating back to the Rover and Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications programs. This technology was successfully developed in over 20 rocket/reactor tests, which demonstrated a wide range of thrust levels, high-temperature fuel, sustained engine operation, accumulated time at full power, and restart capability—everything required for a human mission to Mars. Furthermore, NTP requires no large technology scale-up. The smallest engine tested during the Rover program—the Pewee Engine—is sufficient for this when used in a clustered engine arrangement. The GRC has led every major study involving NTP since the late 1980s and has helped quantify the evolution and growth potential of the nuclear thermal rocket (NTR), which includes the bimodal and liquid-oxygen- (LOX-) augmented NTR concepts. In NASA’s recent Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) study, NTP reduced total mission mass over 400 t compared with chemical propulsion. Human missions to the Moon and near-Earth asteroids are also enhanced using NTP. In 2011, NASA restarted an NTP technology demonstration effort that is continuing under the Nuclear Cryogenic Propulsion Stage project, which began in 2012. Ground demonstrations of a small, scalable NTR by 2020 are envisioned, with a flight demonstration shortly thereafter.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 26 • Issue 2 • April 2013
Pages: 334 - 342
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 11, 2012
Accepted: Nov 30, 2012
Published online: Mar 15, 2013
Published in print: Apr 1, 2013
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