Cycle Trades for Nuclear Thermal Rocket Propulsion Systems
نویسندگان
چکیده
Nuclear fission has been used as a reliable source for utility power in the United States for decades. Even in the 1940’s, long before the United States had a viable space program, the theoretical benefits of nuclear power as applied to space travel were being explored [Humble, et. al.]. These benefits include long-life operation and high performance, particularly in the form of vehicle power density, enabling longerlasting space missions. The configurations for nuclear rocket systems and chemical rocket systems are similar except that a nuclear rocket utilizes a fission reactor as its heat source. This thermal energy can be utilized directly to
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