Operational Considerations for Fission Reactors Utilized on Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Missions to Mars

This report is aimed at identifying the implications associated with the operation of space nuclear power reactors that would be utilized for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) missions to Mars. The objective of this study is to evaluate the operational features of reactors that could provide propulsion and possibly electrical power for future crewed and cargo missions to Mars. This report follows upon an initial report looking at the generic considerations for operating fission reactors in space applications and is intended as a deeper dive into the operational features related to specific Mars NTP applications.