OrbitalHub

Lockheed Martin dicit:

You can’t get all the way to Mars without fuel – and a lot of it. Chemical propulsion has been the standard for spaceflight for decades, but if humans are to travel to Mars, they need a propulsion technology much more powerful.

Although they’re relatively new – nuclear systems for propulsion or electrical power are simple. Fission-based systems work by splitting low-enriched uranium atoms in a reactor to create heat. Super-cooled hydrogen is flowed into the reactor and the heat from the uranium quickly turns the hydrogen into a very hot, pressurized gas.

In nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), the super-hot pressurized hydrogen is funnelled out a nozzle to create a powerful thrust. The mechanics of an NTP engine are much simpler and vastly more efficient than chemical propellant engines.

In fission surface power systems, the heat from the splitting of uranium atoms is converted to electricity. These systems can produce at least 40 kilowatts of power and can operate on permanently shadowed regions of the Moon.

Credit: Lockheed Martin