By National Research Council, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Space Studies Board, Committee on Priorities for Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion
In 2003, NASA begun an R&D attempt to boost nuclear energy and propulsion structures for sun approach exploration. This task, renamed undertaking Prometheus in 2004, was once initiated due to the inherent obstacles in photovoltaic and chemical propulsion platforms in achieving many sun approach targets. to assist be certain acceptable missions for a nuclear energy and propulsion potential, NASA requested the NRC for an self sufficient evaluation of probably hugely meritorious missions that could be enabled if house nuclear structures grew to become operational. This record presents a chain of area technological know-how targets and missions that may be so enabled within the interval past 2015 within the parts of astronomy and astrophysics, sunlight approach exploration, and sunlight and house physics. it's in accordance with yet doesn't reprioritize the findings of earlier NRC decadal surveys in these 3 components.
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Extra resources for Priorities in Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion
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Power Nuclear reactor power systems can support human exploration at surface outposts and onboard spacecraft. A nuclear reactor on the surface of the Moon or Mars can be a source of reliable power to provide life support, to replenish fuel cells for mobile systems, and to supply the large power demands of facilities processing materials. A continuous source of power is needed for life support onboard a spacecraft. Power levels for surface and shipboard life support systems are approximately equivalent.
In addition, the presence of a nuclear reactor may introduce new issues in relation to the assembly, test, and launch operation processes that NASA currently uses: • High-temperature materials. Mission requirements for higher performance and lower vehicle mass can be met only by high-temperature (>1,200 K) materials such as refractory alloys. These types of materials are not used in commercial nuclear power plants or research reactors. The database to support the design and qualification of these materials is only partially complete.
Science Goals The Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter during the latter 1990s discovered evidence that Europa had an icy surface that probably covers a huge liquid water ocean up to 100 kilometers thick. The SSE decadal survey, New Frontiers in the Solar System, ranked the scientific exploration of Europa as a top priority for NASA’s planetary exploration program and recommended the development of a Europa Geophysical Explorer. It is worth noting that although the Europa Geophysical Explorer is envisaged as an RPS-powered spacecraft with a limited instrument complement,6 the report’s authors did consider the possibility of a nuclear-electric mission that would sequentially orbit the three outer Galilean satellites.