A modular, multi-reactor power system and vehicle configuration for piloted nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) missions to Mars is presented. Such a design could provide enhanced system and mission reliability, allowing a comfortable safety margin for early manned flights, and would allow a range of piloted and cargo missions to be performed with a single power system design. Early use of common power modules for cargo missions would also provide progressive flight experience and validation of standardized systems for use in later piloted applications. System and mission analysis are presented to compare single and multi-reactor configurations for piloted Mars missions. A conceptual design for the Hydra modular multi-reactor NEP vehicle is presented.
Multi-Reactor Power System Configurations for Multimegawatt Nuclear Electric Propulsion
1991
9 pages
Report
No indication
English
Electric & Ion Propulsion , Extraterrestrial Exploration , Electric Power Production , Manned mars missions , Modularity , Nuclear electric power generation , Nuclear electric propulsion , Propulsion system configurations , Reactor design , Spacecraft configurations , Systems engineering , Cargo , Design analysis , Mission planning , Propulsion system performance , Reactor safety , Space power reactors , Spacecraft power supplies , Spacecraft reliability
Multimegawatt Nuclear Reactor Design for Plasma Propulsion Systems
Online Contents | 2005
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