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| − | [[Category:Propulsion]]
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| − | Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) uses a nuclear reactor to heat [[propellant]] directly and exhaust it through a nozzle. The nuclear reactor core is the hottest element in the engine and limits the effectiveness of the drive.
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| − | Nuclear thermal engines allow for shorter transit times and/or lower propellant requirements than chemical engines. They are usually planed for orbital operations only, and are in completion with alternative technologies such as [[Nuclear Electric Propulsion]] (NEP) and [[Solar Electric Propulsion]] (SEP).
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| − | In the late 1960's NASA explored nuclear propulsion with the NERVA program. It was expected that such nuclear rockets could achieve efficiencies of 900 seconds ISP. (This is twice the efficiency of chemical rockets where efficiently engineered hydrogen-oxygen engines are around 450 seconds ISP.)
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| − | However, a little know technology, the wave rotor, can be used to further compress the hot gas from a nuclear rocket before it enters the rocket nozzle. This can boost the ISP to 1,400 to 2,000 seconds. If such a rocket with an ISP or 1,800 seconds could be created, missions to Mars would need 1/2 the reaction mass of a NERVA rocket, or 1/4 the reaction mass of a chemical rocket. This would allow much more payload to be sent to Mars, and increase the safety, and efficiency of such missions.<ref>https://www.egr.msu.edu/mueller/NMReferences/HirceagaIancuMueller_2005Timisoara_WaveRotorsTechnologyAndApplications.pdf</ref><ref>https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2023/01/nuclear-wave-rotor-propulsion-could-get-ten-times-chemical-rocket-speeds.html</ref><ref>https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2023/New_Class_of_Bimodal/</ref>
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