Calculations of the radio-biologic risk factors in nuclear-powered space vehicles.

T H E engineering fundamentals, potentialities and problems associated with the alapli,cat'ion .of nuclear energy to rocket propulsion ,have been .reporte.d. 3,4,s,~1,24,2~,2~ Work on nuclear rocket propulsion 'has been underway at the Los Alamos Scientific LaSoratory for a number .o,f years under the code name Project Rover. ~ An inherent advantage of nuclear prop.ulsion is t'he unlimited energy sup,ply of a reactor that can be used to heat a low molecular-weight propellant like hydrogen to much 'higher exhattst' velocities than are possible in chemical rockets operating at the same temperature. T'he higher exhau'st velocities lead directly to superior rocket performance. The nuclear rocket is considered as indispensable for extra-terrestrial voyages, and appears ideally suited fo r tlse as a reusable satellite-bo,o.s~er, moonferry or interplanetary vehicle capable of carrying very large payloads at a nominal cost. n A recent nuclear-rocket timetable 1 revealed the following: