Inspenet, January 26, 2023
NASA selected for the first phase of development a new class of Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Propulsion system that could reduce transit times for Mars missions to just 45 days. The new concept consists of the fusion of two widely proven elements, which are nuclear thermal propulsion and nuclear electric propulsion. The selection was part of NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program for 2023, they recently announced.
The nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) cycle consists of liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) propellant that is heated in the nuclear reactor, turning it into ionized gas (plasma) that is then piped through nozzles to generate thrust. Nuclear-electric propulsion (NEP), on the other hand, is based on a nuclear reactor providing electricity to a propellant that generates an electromagnetic field that ionizes and accelerates an inert gas to create thrust.
Both systems have considerable advantages over conventional chemical propulsion and include higher specific impulse, greater fuel efficiency, and virtually unlimited energy density. However, they also present several drawbacks for their use in possible missions to the red planet.
Bimodal proposals, including both propulsion methods, would combine the advantages of both. The proposal by Professor Ryan Gosse, area leader for the hypersonics program at the University of Florida, calls for a bimodal design based on a solid-core NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) reactor that would provide a specific impulse with twice the current performance of chemical rockets.
Gosse’s proposed cycle also includes a pressure wave supercharger, or wave rotor (WR), a technology used in internal combustion engines that harnesses pressure waves produced by combustion reactions to compress the intake air.
The Universe Today portal reported on Tuesday that these and other nuclear applications could one day enable manned missions to Mars and other places in deep space. Currently, a manned mission to Mars could last up to three years, based on conventional propulsion technology. These missions take advantage of the opposition of Mars (which occurs every 26 months, when Earth and Mars are closest) and would spend a minimum of six to nine months in transit.
A trip to Mars of just 45 days would cut the total mission time to months instead of years. This, in turn, would significantly reduce some of the major health risks to crews, including radiation exposure and time spent in microgravity.
Source Actualidad RT in Spanish : https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/455912-nasa-da-luz-verde-prototipo-cohete-nuclear-misiones-marte
Photo : NASA
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