Nuclear Powered Rockets and Re: nuclear powered airplanes

["Michael P. Grissom" <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Radsafers,

Steven has reminded me that the nuclear propulsion program for
airplanes (field tested in Idaho) was at least partially separated from
the nuclear propulsion program for rockets (field tested in Nevada).

I recommend a browse of the web site that he cited.  It provides a
nice summary of the surprisingly long history of the airplane program.

The rocket engines utilized highly specialized cores designed to
super-heat fuels (liquid hydrogen and other cryogenics) in a single
pass system rather than attempt to heat enough air to develop
thrust.

Two reports readily available off of the DOE search engine that may
be of interest to radsafers (historically):

>Project Rover Test Site.  Sewell, DC, LLNL, California.  9 January
>1956.  [Available NTS]

>EG&G NERVA Test Operations Progress Report, February 1966.
>EG&G, Inc. Las Vegas, NV.  [Available NTS]

S.,

MikeG.


At 02:04 PM 2/25/97 -0600, you wrote:
>     There is an interesting website at:
>     
>     http://www.oz.net/%7Echrisp/ebr.htm
>     
>     that provides information and pictures about the airplane reactor 
>     development and testing program. It was nothing similar to a Nautilus 
>     class PWR. It does not mention whether they ever actually flew one or 
>     not, but many years ago I worked with a retired Air Force Officer that 
>     worked on the program. I don't remember him ever saying that they flew 
>     one; they just did extensive testing from what he told me.
>     
>     Steven D. Rima, CHP


-----------------------
Michael P. Grissom
Assistant Director (ES&H) 
SLAC
mikeg@slac.stanford.edu
Phone:  (415) 926-2346
Fax:    (415) 926-3030