The NERVA-class Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR), with performance nearly double that of advanced chemical engines, has long been considered an enabling technology for human missions to Mars. NTR engines address the demanding trip time and payload delivery needs of both cargo-only and piloted flights. But NTR can also reduce the Earth launch requirements for manned lunar missions. First use of NTR for the Moon would be less demanding and would provide a test-bed for early operations experience with this powerful technology. Study of application and design options indicates that NTR propulsion can be integrated with the Space Exploration Initiative scenarios to deliver performance gains while managing controlled, long-term disposal of spent reactors to highly stable orbits.
Lunar mission design using Nuclear Thermal Rockets
1991-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
Advanced space mission capabilities of nuclear rockets
Engineering Index Backfile | 1964
|Advanced space mission capabilities of nuclear rockets
AIAA | 1964
|Advanced space mission capabilities of nuclear rockets
AIAA | 1963
|Preliminary Mission Architecture for Mars Sample Return Utilizing Nuclear Thermal Rockets
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2011
|Engineering Index Backfile | 1962
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