Russia hopes nuclear ship will fly humans to Mars

I couldn't post this in the Breaking Alternative News board because for some reason it fails to load for me. Anyway.

MOSCOW — Russia should build a new nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned missions to Mars and other planets, the nation's space chief said Thursday.

Anatoly Perminov first proposed building the ship at a government meeting Wednesday but didn't explain its purpose. President Dmitry Medvedev backed the project and urged the government to find the money.

If Medvedev is backing this you can bet it's going to be taken very seriously.

Perminov said the preliminary design could be ready by 2012, and then it would take nine more years and cost 17 billion rubles (about $600 million, or euro400 million) to build the ship.

"The project is aimed at implementing large-scale space exploration programs, including a manned mission to Mars, interplanetary travel, the creation and operation of planetary outposts," Perminov's Web statement said.

NASA's plan to retire its shuttle fleet next year will force the United States and other nations to rely on the Russian spacecraft to ferry their astronauts to and from the International Space Station until NASA's new manned ship becomes available.

Igor Lisov, a Moscow-based expert on Russian space program, said the prospective ship would use a nuclear reactor to run an electric rocket engine.

"It will be quite efficient for flight to Mars," he told The Associated Press on Thursday. Lisov said Soviet work on a nuclear-powered electric rocket engine dates back to the 1960s when Soviet engineers began developing plans for a manned flight to Mars. He said Russia's experience in building nuclear-powered satellites would also help develop the new spaceship.

"It will require a significantly more powerful nuclear reactor, but the task is quite realistic," Lisov said.

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As you can see a lot of sites are covering this, with many more not sourced here.

I don't know about anyone else but i find this as being huge news. They are heading in a different direction with the power source though, NASA just recently tested its new Ares rockets.

I'm all for the Russians doing this, beating the Americans to Mars, as long as they don't station any nukes up there.

[edit on 29/10/2009 by serbsta]

america will probably have to do something to compete with this idea.
(atomic robot spacemen with laser cannon arms perhaps)

if the russians do make the rocket there will be hell to pay if it blows up on lift off.


how much more efficient could a nuclear spaceship be than a regular fueled one?
i would think all the shielding and stuff would make it heavier and nuclear reactors ARE pretty much just fancy steam engines...

but then again...once its in space it could probably keep going for a long while.

[edit on 29-10-2009 by ELECTRICkoolaidZOMBIEtest]

Awesome, I love to see this and I think its a great idea. I would love to see peacefull space race. Even if it's Russia Imagine how long that rocket could travel, how fast??

To avoid liftoff why couldn't they build the rocket in orbit? I don't know a lot about these type of logistics but look at the space station. Why couldn't they just build space station style and when its ready fire it up and head for mars. They could build a lander to take them down and back to Mars orbit.

I think it's all plausible, anyone.....?

Either way it's good to see someone is still trying to go further than the space station. Good stuff...

Originally posted by AlienChaser


Awesome, I love to see this and I think its a great idea. I would love to see peacefull space race. Even if it's Russia Imagine how long that rocket could travel, how fast??

To avoid liftoff why couldn't they build the rocket in orbit? I don't know a lot about these type of logistics but look at the space station. Why couldn't they just build space station style and when its ready fire it up and head for mars. They could build a lander to take them down and back to Mars orbit.

I think it's all plausible, anyone.....?

Either way it's good to see someone is still trying to go further than the space station. Good stuff...

I'm not expert but i don't think ISS would be very aero-dynamic in terms of its shape to allow for adequate space travel.

Agree with you there, it is all plausible, it's only a matter of time and perseverance.

Originally posted by serbsta

I'm not expert but i don't think ISS would be very aero-dynamic in terms of its shape to allow for adequate space travel.

I think he meant assemble it in space, taking the parts up via multiple launches - space station style

It also makes more sense should a rocket fail and 'splode. You won't lose the entire thing, just a part of it.

Right it wouldn't have to look like the ISS but it could be assembled like it piece by piece into an advanced spacecraft designed for travel.

It would probably also be safer to fire up a nuclear rocket in space rather than try to launch it from ground.

Just fun stuff to talk about, experts welcome.

i sense a new space race developing...this time its man on mars
.
I love it! The us wont let them go before us...at least we have hollywood production if all else fails.

Originally posted by AlienChaser

Right it wouldn't have to look like the ISS but it could be assembled like it piece by piece into an advanced spacecraft designed for travel.

It would probably also be safer to fire up a nuclear rocket in space rather than try to launch it from ground.

Just fun stuff to talk about, experts welcome.

Aha! Sorry, i misinterpreted what you said at first. Very good idea, it could be a good security precaution as nothing on Earth would be destroyed if there was an accident, but i'm not too sure about nukes going off in space in Earth's orbit.

No problem..

Quite frankly after thinkning about it I'm a little surprised that the idea hasn't beent tried, or at least announced as an official attempt by any space faring government before.

I mean think of how long we have been using nuclear submarines, not exactly the same thing I know, but the concept isn't really so much different. More of just an adaptation of the current ideas that work in the ocean and converting those concepts into space travel.

It is a very exciting prospect to think of a human built spaceship that could go to mars with a built in powerplant that could bring it back again, as it seems I remember getting back was always a big problem in planing a manned mission to Mars.

It would be great to see a space race, yes, but I think it would be truly wonderfull to see America, Russia, China, Japan, and anyone else who could help, to work together to build an exploratory craft which would represent humanities first reach out to another planet, as one.

Sadly we will probably see a space race, but it sure beats seeing who can build the biggest bomb.

reply to post by AlienChaser


Agreed would be good if an international alliance was put together for manned missions to mars.The EU,America,India,Russia and China would make such a mission more probable in the near future if they all worked together. Would dilute the costs for each member aswell.

Originally posted by crisko
...I think he meant assemble it in space, taking the parts up via multiple launches - space station style

It also makes more sense should a rocket fail and 'splode. You won't lose the entire thing, just a part of it.

NASA's preliminary plans for a manned Mars ship includes several launches of the pieces via the Ares V, and then assembling the pieces in Earth orbit -- ISS style. Once the pieces were assembled, the crew would get to the ship via a later launch of the Ares I/Orion capsule.

Of course these plans are preliminary because they won't happen for at least 20 years.

I applaud Russia for thinking POWER. Now if China could get their anti-gravity research to bear fruit, and those nations worked together… then someone on this planet would finally produce a real spaceship.

reply to post by Larryman

I applaud Russia for thinking POWER. Now if China could get their anti-gravity research to bear fruit, and those nations worked together… then someone on this planet would finally produce a real spaceship

I also applaud Russia, not only for their thinking power but also for their announcing it!

I am sure this is not a new idea but for a nation to announce it as their next objective move really is forward thinking. While some may dismiss this as posturing, I say it creates an element of desire or that "spark" that might get the world powers back into an exploration mindset.

The same is true with anti-gravity, surely no one thinks that China is the only one doing research in anti-gravity. In fact, I would bet that all of the nations you mention have active and fully funded anti-gravity research facilities up and running.

The difference is that these facilities are almost certainly currently being used primarily to develop their respective nations next "atomic bomb" to ensure their own global position, rather than for the good and true spirit of exploration that every human (think child) naturally has.

As for your "real spaceship" comment

I wholeheartedly agree!

Moon landing debates aside, the shuttle is built for around 800 miles from earth (?). When you consider that the ISS itself orbits roughly 220 miles from earth (fact), It really makes one consider what exactly a "real" spaceship is???

I agree that we have yet to build a real spaceship.

This is great, it reignites space race. Even if the declaration is pure speculations (600 million dollars will not get Man to Mars for sure) and general situation of Russian space program is pretty bad - NASA and other competitors could use it to press their politicians for funds.
As for united project - would be great of course. Do not think it will happen though. Why share the prestige?

Yea, would be interesting if China joined in aswell. India and Japan have recently sent craft to snap images of the moon aswell if i remember correctly, i remember India's was called Chandarayan(sp)?. Anyway, it would be great if Japan and India joined the space race too.

reply to post by serbsta


all i gotta say is NASA sucks they take forever to do anything, im glad to see at least someone stepping up to do something different it needs to be done.. im all for Russia on this approach now the US will have to counter and we will have a spaceship if not be in partnership

[edit on 30-10-2009 by OpTiMuS_PrImE]

...It really makes one consider what exactly a "real" spaceship is???

For a 'real' spaceship... I'll go with one like in my avatar. It's nuclear powered, with anti-gravity launch and landing, life-suspension chambers for inter-stellar voyage, and it functions as a home after landing. And small enough for mass-production.

Note the absence of any associated (pitiful) propulsion rocket stages - which become hazardous space debris after use.

I think the propulsion is mini atomic bombs.
I head of that one.
Other the steam engines in space which is dis information.
This might be a close second.
ED: The way to anti gravity is to shield against gravity.
One just needs to know how how to achieve such a
fantastic device.

[edit on 10/30/2009 by TeslaandLyne]

I applaud Russia for taking the first true step to manned interplanetary travel. However, I strongly feel that the only way manned interplanetary travel will succeed is by every nation of the world contributing to building a single ship to send Human's into space...not a single country building a ship to send their citizens. We are all one race...Humans. We need to learn to act as such before we can go beyond where we're at now.