Design, qualification and operation of nuclear rockets for safe Mars missions

Details Design, qualification and operation of nuclear rockets for safe Mars missions Design, qualification and operation of nuclear rockets for safe Mars missions

Jan 1993

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993aipc..271...39b&link_type=abstract

Proceedings of the tenth symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 271, pp. 39-47 (19

Computer Science

Performance

Propulsion Reactors

Scientific paper

Nuclear thermal propulsion modules planned for use on crew missions on Mars improve mission reliability and overall safety of the mission. This, as well as all other systems, are greatly enhanced if the system specifications take into account safety from design initiation, and operational considerations are well thought through and applied. For instance, the use of multiple engines in the propulsion module can lead to very high system safety and reliability. Operational safety enhancements may include: the use of multiple perigee burns, thus allowing time to ensure that all systems are functioning properly prior to departure from Earth orbit; the ability to perform all other parts of the mission in a degraded mode with little or no degradation of the mission; and the safe disposal of the nuclear propulsion module in a heliocentric orbit out of the ecliptic plane. The standards used to qualify nuclear rockets are one of the main cost drivers of the program. Concepts and systems that minimize cost and risk will rely on use of the element and component levels to demonstrate technology readiness and validation. Subsystem or systems testing then is only needed for verification of performance. Also, these will be the safest concepts because they will be more thoroughly understood and the safety margins will be well established and confirmed by tests.

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