NASA Announces Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Reactor Concept Awards

[GCoyote]

The government team has selected three reactor design concept proposals for a nuclear thermal propulsion system.

Press release here - https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa ... ept-awards

[notFritzArgelander]

This is the only technology for getting to Mars (and back) that doesn't excessively subject the crew to risks of health including death. Whether it's politically feasible depends on the assembly and operation design.

[Ylem]

They have been safely using it on submarines for many decades, I see this as good news.

(Of course Spock died in a nuclear accident)

[Ozypic]

images.jpeg.jpg (13.62 KiB) Viewed 879 times

[GCoyote]

There is now a free pub on the topic from the National Academies Press in PDF format.

https://www.nap.edu/download/25977