NTP design specifications for a broad range of applications.

摘要

In establishing a nuclear thermal rocket program (NTP), a balance is needed between the ability to perform a variety of missions, crew safety for piloted missions, cost, and schedule. This balance has led to a recommendation that the US concentrate on a 66 kN (15,000 lbf) thrust engine. This size can enable both piloted missions to Mars and large outer planetary scientific orbiters. Clustering four of these engines greatly enhances the safety of the crew and provides an extremely reliable propulsion module. The rocket can also be used for robotic missions to the Moon and Mars, piloted Moon missions, and resource recovery from comets and asteroids. Development and validation costs are greatly reduced compared to larger size rockets, and development is feasible by the beginning of the next decade. This paper concentrates on balancing the requirements of the piloted Mars mission with the aforementioned factors of crew safety, cost, other applications, and schedule. On this basis, recommendations are provided for NTP requirements.