Anyone know how you use a non-fissile isotope to power a nuclear rocket?
Rod Adams
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The same way you would use a fissile isotope, but on a smaller scale : both would be used to produce electricity to run ion engines -- its called Nuclear-Electric Propulsion (NEP), as opposed to Nuclear-Thermal Propulsion (NTP), in which you heat the propellant directly.
For small unmanned probes, Pu-238 powered RTGs are ideal for NEP, since it makes the electric power available for instrument & transceiver operation following arrival at the destination....
Jaro