Nuclear electric propulsion mission performance for fast piloted Mars missionsA mission study aimed at minimizing the time humans would spend in the space environment is presented. The use of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), when combined with a suitable mission profile, can reduce the trip time to durations competitive with other propulsion systems. Specifically, a split mission profile utilizing an earth crew capture vehicle accounts for a significant portion of the trip time reduction compared to previous studies. NEP is shown to be capable of performing fast piloted missions to Mars at low power levels using near-term technology and is considered to be a viable candidate for these missions.
Document ID
19910067765
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hack, K. J. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
George, J. A. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Dudzinski, L. A. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)