The HeatPipe-Operated Mars Exploration Reactor (HOMER)

The Heatpipe Power System (HI%) is a near-te~ low-cost, space fission power system that has been under development at Los Alamos National Laborato~ (LANL) for 5 years. The goal of the HPS project is to devise an attractive space fission system that can be developed quickly and affordably. The primary ways of doing this are by using existing technology and by designing the system for inexpensive testing. If the system can be designed to allow highly prototypic testing with electrical heating, then an exhaustive test program can be carried out inexpensively and quickly and thorough testing of the actual flight unit can be performed which is a major benefit to reliability. Over the past 4 years, LANL has conducted three HPS proof-of-concept technology demonstrations each has been highly successful. The Heatpipe-Operated Mars Exploration Reactor (HOMER) is a derivative of the FIRSdesigned especially for producing electricity on the surface of Mars. The key attributes of the HOMER are described in this paper, as well as a 20-kWe point desi~ system scalability, and the current technology status.