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New nuclear engine concept could help realize 3-month trips to Mars
new atlas ^ | 10/25/20 | David Szondy

Posted on 10/27/2020 5:25:11 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal

Seattle-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Technologies (USNC-Tech) has developed a concept for a new Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine and delivered it to NASA. Claimed to be safer and more reliable than previous NTP designs and with far greater efficiency than a chemical rocket, the concept could help realize the goal of using nuclear propulsion to revolutionize deep space travel, reducing Earth-Mars travel time to just three months.

Because chemical rockets are already near their theoretical limits and electric space propulsion systems have such low thrust, rocket engineers continue to seek ways to build more efficient, more powerful engines using some variant of nuclear energy. If properly designed, such nuclear rockets could have several times the efficiency of the chemical variety. The problem is to produce a nuclear reactor that is light enough and safe enough for use outside the Earth's atmosphere – especially if the spacecraft is carrying a crew.

According to Dr. Michael Eades, principal engineer at USNC-Tech, the new concept engine is more reliable than previous NTP designs and can produce twice the specific impulse of a chemical rocket. Specific impulse is a measure of a rocket's efficiency.

To fuel the concept, UNSC-Tech uses a Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated (FCM) fuel to power the engine's reactor. This fuel is based on High-Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU), which is derived from reprocessed civilian nuclear fuel and is enriched to between 5 and 20 percent – greater than that of civilian reactors and less than that of naval reactors. The fuel is then encapsulated into particles coated with zirconium carbide (ZrC).

(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Miscellaneous; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: astronomy; mars; nuclearengine; rocket; science; seattle; space; spaceexploration; spacetravel; washington
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1 posted on 10/27/2020 5:25:11 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

The only problem is that when you get to Mars you no longer have any hair.


2 posted on 10/27/2020 5:27:40 PM PDT by Revel
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

I wonder if it could be combined with a steam turbine or some other process to produce electricity once on the surface of Mars?


3 posted on 10/27/2020 5:29:54 PM PDT by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.`)
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To: Revel

It could be a plot point of Capricorn II - the nuclear way.


4 posted on 10/27/2020 5:32:44 PM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure.)
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

Would be great for freight hauling, getting material into place in orbit, especially fuel, robots, support machinery


5 posted on 10/27/2020 5:34:48 PM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: Roman_War_Criminal
I'm wondering what they use for reaction mass, and how they achieve this "doubled" efficiency.

In order to develop thrust, you have to eject some sort of mass out the back, that's Newton's Law.

Does this nuclear engine eject mass at twice the velocity?
What sort of mass?
How is it accelerated?

6 posted on 10/27/2020 5:45:51 PM PDT by ZOOKER (Until further notice the /s is implied...)
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

7 posted on 10/27/2020 5:46:55 PM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

Open the pod bay door, Hal...


8 posted on 10/27/2020 5:48:12 PM PDT by Tallguy (Facts be d@mned! The narrative must be protected at all costs!)
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

Looks like the specific impulse is going to dictate that it is going to be used for space travel only.


9 posted on 10/27/2020 5:52:53 PM PDT by 2001convSVT (Medicare for All = Medical Care for None!)
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To: ZOOKER

Not sure, but Newton’s Law might well have some flaws in it that we’re not aware of.

Didn’t scientists recently discover that mass (relativity) cannot be broken down beyond a certain point - meaning there is a finite point for mass and that means the universe is finite as well?


10 posted on 10/27/2020 5:53:26 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal (Jesus + Something = Nothing ; Jesus + Nothing = Everything)
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To: Revel

I nominate Hillary Clinton as first president of Marrs!


11 posted on 10/27/2020 5:53:33 PM PDT by Darteaus94025 (Can't have a Liberal without a Lie)
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

https://www.usnc-tech.com/


12 posted on 10/27/2020 5:57:30 PM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: Tallguy

"Get your ass to Mars...Get your ass to Mars...Get your ass to Mars...Get your ass to Mars..."

13 posted on 10/27/2020 5:57:41 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Roman_War_Criminal

14 posted on 10/27/2020 5:58:15 PM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: Darteaus94025

nominate Hillary Clinton as reaction mass


15 posted on 10/27/2020 5:58:39 PM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: Revel

Nuclear systems o earth require water for cooling. Since their on space maybe they can get help from HD as they are still successful at building air cooled engines...just a thought


16 posted on 10/27/2020 5:59:35 PM PDT by shotgun
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To: Roman_War_Criminal
I'm waiting for warp drives...😀
17 posted on 10/27/2020 6:06:55 PM PDT by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable family...even the dog ixs, too. :-) Trump 2020t)
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To: Revel

I don’t have any now


18 posted on 10/27/2020 6:14:04 PM PDT by mfish13 (Elections have Consequences.)
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To: Revel

Why don’t they just build it bigger and use the Navy nuclear engine?


19 posted on 10/27/2020 6:34:30 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Cloward-Piven is finally upon us.)
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To: noiseman

“to produce electricity once on the surface of Mars?”

Nothing else come close to nuclear power, when you compare the Space Weight And Power (SWAP) trade offs. Something the size of a five gallon bucket could very reliably produce a few megawatts steadily for ten years.

Per pound, or per cubic foot, nuclear power is the hands down winner for Mars bases (where solar panels are additionally vulnerable to storms).


20 posted on 10/27/2020 6:48:46 PM PDT by BeauBo
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