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Difficulties of the Nuclear Powered Prometheus Project

Posted by michael on from the nukes-in-space dept.

brandido writes "Space.com is reporting on some of the technological difficulties facing the nuclear powered Prometheus Project. In particular, it is focusing on the fact that the Prometheus project promises to represent a paradigm shift in the capabilities of interplanetary probes. Such a large shift in capabilities entails the development of new technologies and designs, a process that is often full of mishaps and setbacks."

4 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Not A Lot by turgid · · Score: 4, Informative

    Firstly, unused nuclear fuel is not very radioactive relatively speaking and is not very toxic.
    Secondly, the fuel can (and is) built into very strong and resilliant "cans" and can be further protected to the point that even a fall from a great height such as earth-orbit will not result in any radioactive release.
    Thirdly, any engineer woth their salt will design the darned thing such that it will not start its nuclear reactor (when the nasty fission products start to be produced) until the craft is either a significant distance away from earth already, or has achieved escape velocity and can not fall back to earth.
    I am a qualified nuclear engineer with several years reactor physics experience at a nuclear power station.

    --
    Stick Men
  2. Re:Just one problem... by BigBir3d · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just like last time...

    1965

  3. Re:fuel? by jwdg · · Score: 3, Informative
    See, for example: this ESA article: Solar-electric propulsion is ESA's new spacecraft engine. It does not burn fuel as chemical rockets do; instead the technique converts sunlight into electricity via solar panels and uses it to electrically charge heavy gas atoms, which accelerate from the spacecraft at high velocity. This drives the spacecraft forwards. In a chemical rocket, burning the fuel creates gas that is expelled relatively slowly compared to electric thrusters. However, in an ion engine, the gas is ejected at large velocities, which makes it generally much more efficient, so less fuel is required.

    Because propulasion works by conservation of momentum, if you can fire the ions out the back fast enough you don't need too many of them. The problem with normal jet propulsion is that the jets aren't very high velocity.

  4. Interesting topic... by Unknown+Kadath · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...and just in time for me to go home, too.

    Here's a NASA page on Project Prometheus.

    Have a good weekend, all.

    -Carolyn

    --
    Like Daddy always said: if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit.