(ORDO NEWS) — The specialists of the American space agency have chosen several new space projects for their possible implementation in the future.
Among the most interesting initiatives of American researchers, one should single out the one that proposes using a new type of nuclear engine in a space rocket so that it can reach Mars in a month and a half.
A new concept for using a nuclear engine for a rocket was proposed by Ryan Gosse from Florida State University (USA).
Although the idea is not new at all: back in the 20th century in the United States, scientists were creating a nuclear thermal engine and a nuclear electric engine for space rockets.
However, at that time these projects were not further developed.
Gosse proposed to combine two types of nuclear engine into one, simply consisting of two parts, i.e. thermal and electrical. This will allow, according to Gosse, to reach the Red Planet in just 45 days.
A nuclear thermal propulsion consists of a nuclear reactor that heats liquid hydrogen fuel into ionized hydrogen gas, which then creates thrust.
In a nuclear-electric engine, of course, there is also a nuclear reactor: it provides electricity to the Hall effect engine, that is, the ion engine that generates an electromagnetic field.
This field ionizes and accelerates an inert gas such as xenon to create thrust.
The use of two types of engines at once in one design, according to Gosse, will combine the advantages of both nuclear rocket engines – thermal and electric, and will also “be able to provide a quick flight to Mars in 45 days, and thus people can quickly fly to others, more distant planets in the solar system.
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