NTR vehicle commonality assessment for piloted lunar and Mars missionsA study is presented that assesses the feasibility of (1) using common nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) vehicle components to perform a wide range of lunar and Mars missions, and (2) potential performance gains achieved via 'dual-mode' NTR operation, where the nuclear reactor is utilized not only for propulsion but also for electrical power generation. Four vehicle configurations are considered, modular designs with multiple single engine modules and single engine designs with multiple propellant tanks. The standard tank sizes arrived at in the Mars mission mass performance calculations are then applied to cargo and piloted lunar craft to evaluate lunar NTR mass performance against that for chemical propulsion.
Document ID
19910067825
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Collins, John T. (Science Applications International Corp. Schaumburg, IL, United States)
Feingold, Harvey (Science Applications International Corp. Schaumburg, IL, United States)
Borowski, Stanley K. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)