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RE: Fission Rocket Propulsion Revisited
As I mention in an earlier post, I was involved is NASA's nuclear propulsion
and power programs from 1963 to 1973. These programs were cancelled in late
1971. However a space nuclear power symposium (obviously scheduled before
the program closure) was held in Las Vegas on March 1-5, 1971. The
proceedings of that symposium, published as NASA TM X-2440 (Jan 1972) will
give you a pretty good picture of the state of the art at that time. The
proceedings include 140 papers and total about 1000 pages. Although it
wasn't intended that way, the symposium amounted to a funeral ceremony (with
many eulogies) for the space nuclear power program.
My contribution to this symposium was a paper (p. 324-328) which addressed
the solar flare dose which might be encountered on a nuclear rocket-powered
manned Mars mission which consisted of a 280-day outbound run, a 40-day
stay, and a 236-day return. These mission parameters were typical of what
could be achieved using the NERVA (fission) nuclear rocket technology.
I'm happy to see the interest in this technology resuming. It's almost like
Rip Van Winkle. The technology has been dormant for 30 years and has now
re-awakening. Maybe 40-years after 1971, the technology will be at its
fully awaked level.
* * * * * * * * * *
Jerry Lahti
Exelon Nuclear
4300 Winfield Road
Warrenville IL 60555
phone (630) 657-3869
FAX (630) 657-4328
gerald.lahti@exeloncorp.com
* * * * * * * * * *
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JPreisig@AOL.COM [SMTP:JPreisig@AOL.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 10:22 PM
> To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
> Subject: Fission Rocket Propulsion Revisited
>
> Hello All,
>
> This is from JPreisig@aol.com . Happy Holidays.
>
> The topic of fission based propulsion was examined in earlier
> radsafe
> postings (Please see the archives). A recent posting suggested that NASA
> is entertaining the possibility of putting a (manned???) spacecraft to
> Mars
> with a (chemically driven) one-way transit time of 6 months to 3 years.
> Let's be serious. Even a Soviet cosmonaut is not going to sit in such a
> spacecraft for 3 Years (???) for a one week visit on Mars, and then a
> three
> year trip back.
>
> Fission driven spacecraft offer the possibility of making this trip
> in
> one
> or two weeks (one way). Let's get this technology developed, and build
> two or three fission-based spacecraft. If it works to Mars, then perhaps
> we
> can go other places.
>
> Again, Best Wishes for the Holidays!!!!!
>
> J. R.
> Preisig,
> Ph.D.
>
>
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