With the help of nuclear rockets it is possible to reach Mars in half the time. The problem is in the design of the reactors.

Mars. The Red Planet is humanity’s next great destination. NASA is currently planning to launch a crewed mission to this world within the next decade, although this has not yet been decided. didn’t specify the date. And it is clear that he did not do this. The scale of the problems that need to be solved before sending people to Mars is titanic. One of these problems is closely related to the time required to travel.

Using modern chemical rocket technology, the journey to Mars will take six to nine months. However, the development of nuclear thermal propulsion could significantly reduce this time. In half. Using nuclear thermal launch vehicles, a trip to Mars could last three to four months and would therefore be much less demanding in terms of the astronauts’ health. And, in addition, this will allow fewer resources to be invested in the mission.

Nuclear thermal propulsion has advantages, but poses big problems

Conventional chemical propulsion systems used in rockets today rely on a chemical reaction involving a light fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidizer. When mixed, ignition occurs instantly, causing the fuel to be ejected from the nozzle and create the thrust necessary to propel the rocket. In a broad sense, it is the technology used by spacecraft.

The strategy proposed by nuclear thermal propulsion is completely different. Nuclear fission is a well-known reaction that has been used in nuclear power plants and nuclear submarines since the mid-2000s. 50s of the last century. Typically in forced fission reactions, a uranium-235 nucleus absorbs a neutron to form a uranium-236 nucleus, which is unstable and the latter splits into two nuclei: one of barium-144, the other of krypton-89 and krypton-89. also emits two or three neutrons.

The fission used in nuclear thermal engines is essentially identical to that just described, but the fuel used contains more uranium-235, so its enrichment is higher than, for example, the fuel rods used in nuclear power plants. . In addition, reactors using nuclear propulsion operate at higher temperatures than reactors using chemical propulsion, making them more powerful and compact.

In fact, nuclear thermal propulsion systems have about ten times the power density of a conventional light water reactor. In conclusion, we note that it is interesting to know that nuclear thermal propulsion systems have approximately twice the specific impulse than chemical rockets, so on paper they boast the ability to halve the duration of a trip to Mars.

Interestingly, the US government has been funding nuclear thermal engine development programs since the mid-1950s. Dozens of designs have been tested since then, but the spacecraft’s reactors, in addition to delivering high specific impulse and being as light as possible, must be safe and must not use highly enriched uranium. And, of course, they must be able to operate safely throughout the entire spaceflight.

NASA intends to test a nuclear thermal engine in space in 2027, so there is a possibility that this technology is necessary in the exploration of Mars. Perhaps it will even take us beyond the Red Planet. Let’s see.

Image | SpaceX

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