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NASA Looking At Nuclear Thermal Rockets To Explore the Solar System
MarkWhittington writes: Officially, NASA has been charged with sending astronauts to Mars sometime in the 2030s. Toward that end, according to a story in Universe Today, space agency engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center are looking at an old concept for interplanetary travel, nuclear thermal engines. "...according to the report (cached), an NTP rocket could generate 200 kWt of power using a single kilogram of uranium for a period of 13 years – which works out of to a fuel efficiency rating of about 45 grams per 1000 MW-hr. In addition, a nuclear-powered engine could also provide superior thrust relative to the amount of propellant used." However, some doubts have been expressed whether NASA will be granted the budget to develop such engines.
OMG nu-cle-er radiashun in space! Think of the environmental damage!
What an emotionally charged word :"explore". The Solar System's mostly empty. Big deal. What's to explore?
No kidding. They should have said browse the solar system. Everyone knows that explore has an inherent Microsoft bias.
Space Balls had a lovely Winnebago that traveled through space quite fine thank you very much