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Russia Develops Spaceship With Nuclear Engine
Matt_dk writes "The Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos has developed a design for a piloted spacecraft powered by a nuclear engine, the head of the agency said on Wednesday. 'The project is aimed at implementing large-scale space exploration programs,' Anatoly Perminov said at a meeting of the commission on the modernization of the Russian economy. He added that the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the Moon and Mars."
Last time I checked, the space race was over for all intents and purposes by the early 1970's, and the world's space agencies had spent the following four decades mostly dicking around half-heartedly.
Mind you, I think a renewed space race would be great. But there isn't one going on right now. There's not even a space special olympics at the moment.
Proud member of the Weirdo-American community.
People have been launching satellites with radioactive materials in them for a long while. There are things that can go wrong but generally the fuel is contained so that if the rocket fails it will not scatter the material. There would be no need for Russia to disguise an attack on the US as a space launch... they could just attempt to use real nukes and not some ******-rigged dirty bomb.
Is it really a direct nuclear engine, or just the generator to power something like a VASIMR or Hall Effect Thruster? There's a pretty big difference. For the second, as a power source, nuclear power has already been used for a while. Not as a full-blown fissile reactor, but rather a nuclear battery.
This could be a good source of motivation. Exploring the use of nuclear power for space exploration makes a ton of sense. Currently, when anyone brings it up, people express fears that it is too dangerous and expensive, and so let's just play it safe. Perhaps instead they can fear that other countries will develop it first and leave us behind.
The biggest issue here is the space disarmament treaty or whatever it's called... The US and Russia agreed to not weaponize space, and as we all know from reading Larry Niven, a nuclear propulsion system is also a nuclear weapon. Does this violate the treaty? I couldn't say without looking at it, but it's certainly something that should be looked at.
I certainly trust Soviet trained engineers to launch this thing successfully without air-bursting right after take off, scattering radioactive debris throughout the atmosphere. The Russians have a long, celebrated, history of safety and caution when it comes to their nuclear and aerospace endeavors--together they'll be a winning combination!
(and for those who think I'm being too harsh on the Russians, I wouldn't trust NASA to launch a nuclear powered spacecraft either)
NASA and Russia have already launched "nuclear powered spacecraft", typically using a Radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Its needed if you are gonna send a satellite where the sun don't shine. Take Cassini, or the Voyager probes for instance. The difference as I understand it is they would use the electricity to power a high specific impulse low thrust engine, such as an ion thruster.
Does anyone have any real information on this ? (NASA Contractor Report 179614, SPI-25-l. (1988) doesn't count.)
Compared to current tech, how fast and how far could such a ship theoretically travel?
What's wrong with some healthy competition. Nasa is developing the nuclear powered Stirling engine so Russia instead decides to go Nuclear... as in submarine style. Without the USSR, men would not have walked on the moon. I say, go for it!
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the author.