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A radiological assessment of space nuclear power operations near Space Station FreedomIn order to accomplish NASA's more ambitious exploration goals, nuclear reactors may be used in the vicinity of Space Station Freedom (SSF) either as power sources for coorbiting platforms or as part of the propulsion system for departing and returning personnel or cargo vehicles. This study identifies ranges of operational parameters, such as parking distances and reactor cooldown times, which would reasonably guarantee that doses to the SSF crew from all radiation sources would be below guidelines recently recommended by the National Council of Radiation Protection and Measurements. The specific scenarios considered include: (1) the launch and return of a nuclear electric propulsion vehicle, (2) the launch and return of a nuclear thermal rocket vehicle, (3) the operation of an SP-100 class reactor on a coorbiting platform, (4) the activation of materials near operating reactors, (5) the storage and handling of radioisotope thermal generator units, and (6) the storage and handling of fresh and previously operated reactors. Portable reactor shield concepts were examined for relaxing the operational constraints imposed by unshielded (for human proximity operations) reactors and that might also be used to provide additional SSF crew protection from natural background radiation.
Document ID
19940005429
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Stevenson, Steve
(NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Johnson Space Center, Space Station Evolution Conference: Abstracts for Technical Sessions
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Accession Number
94N72184
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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