Getting space-bound on Nuke Engines: (NASA & Russia map out the future)

The heads of Russia’s Federal Space Agency, Roscomos, and NASA have discussed plans for the future, touching on joint work on the ISS, working together on space experiments, space communication and navigation, and scenarios for the development of manned flights beyond the near-Earth orbit.

Expeditions to other planets are impossible without new ships with more powerful engines. One of the most promising areas is the creation of a nuclear powered engine block that is 3-5 times more powerful than one driven by chemical reactions.

Already in the 1960s, the US and the USSR created several prototypes of nuclear-powered engines. Their low capacity meant that they were only used on military surveillance satellites. At the beginning of the 1970s, both countries scrapped the projects, but at the beginning of the 21st century, the idea received a new lease on life, in view of the decision to use the nuclear engine for a manned expedition to Mars. Calculations show that this will allow reaching the Red Planet 1.5-2 times faster and will decrease costs by 20%.

In 2008, the US announced the start of work on the creation of a nuclear-powered engine. Russia is also working hard to this end. Russia’s Energy Rocket and Space Corporation is designing a tug with a nuclear power block that will be able to reach the Moon in 20-30 days, with prospects to use such blocks for manned Mars explorers.Designers believe that the tug will allow cleaning up the inundated geostationary orbit of our planet. Each satellite has a certain position from which it can maintain constant contact with the Earth. Since the orbit itself is limited, the cost of such a position may reach $50 million, explains Viktor Sinyavsky of the Energy Corporation. A nuclear-powered tug can intercept such dangerous objects.

Source: english.ruvr.ru...

Great. I don't know. This just bothers me. Working so closely with the Russians. And, the Russians about to be the only ones with a car (so to speak). If they are working this closely together, than they must know more thay we thought or think we they do.

What I don't understand is now Russia will go on with their announcements of going to the Moon and Mars by them selvese. They already have.

Anyway, they do make the argument well for a Nuke Engine and a Nuke Tug Boat. Makes sense to me. I wonder who will man the Tug Boat? The lowest scoring Pilots or the hard to disipline types.



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I think that the only way we are ever going to expand the space program into the future is either through commercial enterprise or joint operations with other countries. As much as it saddens me to say this NASA has become a joke, and it's not all there fault. The US government has been sapping funds from NASA since the early 70's. After the big race to get to the moon the government frankly just didn't care anymore. This is one reason why I would have to say that it wouldn't really surprise me if they did fake the lunar landing. Just because it was such a big deal to beat the Russians at the time that frankly the US would do anything to do it.

The interesting thing to me is that when the US was actually out to prove they were better then the Russians at the height of the Cold War. Aside from the threat of immenant death via nuclear war. The country was thriving like never before. Since the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the decline of Communism we have actually been going down hill financially and technologically. It seems most of the big technological break throughs come from another country and the US seems to just outsource everything now.

Funny how a state of constant conflict actually made the US better then it is now...

reply to post by anon72


Sooner or later mankind will have to pull its head out of its backside and realize that from space there are not imaginary borders across land masses. "WE" the human race will need to pull together instead of pulling in different directions if we are to ever be a truly space fairing race. The Apollo missions to the moon were just the first stumbling steps. Moon colonies, Mars colonies. mining of both bodies ARE in our future.

I'm old enough to have lived through the tail end of the Cold War. Personally I'd rather see the US and Russians working together on projects such as this than using their divided resources aiming weapons at each other and others. This time period we live in will set the foundation and ground work for future cooperative space missions and exploration. The Russians have very good basic no frills hardware. NASA despite the opinions of many here of them supposedly hording secret information has done a great job as well. If they were able to combine both it would put mankind firmly on the road to space ravel and exploration IMO.

I'm all for the Commercialization of Space as well.

Its stuff like this that gives me hope for the future and for my son. I remember in school hiding under my desk as the nuclear bomb sirens went off literally pissing my pants in kindergarten. They had us so scared its wasn't even funny and i thank god my son doesn't have to live with that fear daily like we did, I think Russia and the US are the greatest hope for mankind becoming A space fairing people, collaboration will be needed and we will probably need to get china on board also to really kick start the new programs. Humans need to expand to other planets if we plan on surviving in the future IMO. We should already have 1000's of people living on the moon and mars next. i hope we get to mars and start a settlement there before I die, I would love to see that. i think space travel will be the only thing that brings all humans together as one species and not a bunch of different races and religions like it is on this planet.

Very good thread. Yes the Nuclear engine should be used the only problem is getting it into space it scares them to death. The thing is I am sure it is up there on military stuff and I am sure they sould get it up there in pieces for safty with the actual fuel being the only major problem.The unlimited electricity that could be generated would be a total bonus as they could scrap the inefficient soplar crap atleast most of it all the the weight from that would save the entire cost I am sure.

With the new Heavy rocket coming out real exploration could be had if they can even stick close to the 1000$ a pound

That price is kinda the holy grail still very expensive but alot cheaper then now.

www.pcmag.com...

Originally posted by SLAYER69
I'm all for the Commercialization of Space as well.

Right, since everything else that "commercialization" has touched has withered and died at the hands of greed and corruption.

Originally posted by bsbray11
Right, since everything else that "commercialization" has touched has withered and died at the hands of greed and corruption.

Says the guy typing from his Commercially mass-produced computer while on the World Wide Web...

No one smells a rat here?

Confidence in nuclear power is plumeting and TPTB suddenly announce our future in space will depend on that very same nuclear power.

Why not power our cars the same way and get rid of petrol? It must be safe as there is no mention of any outcomes from acciedents with this power plant.

Oh I forgot, nuclear power is good, green, clean and very very safe.

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by bsbray11
Right, since everything else that "commercialization" has touched has withered and died at the hands of greed and corruption.

Says the guy typing from his Commercially mass-produced computer while on the World Wide Web...

The same WWW that commercial entities are still dying to further privatize and charge out the ass for, right? So if you want movies online, that's a separate charge. If you want music, separate charge. You want news? Separate charge. That's commercialism at what it does best, and that's what companies would love to do if not for people getting pissed off and putting them back in their place.

All while selling out all your personal information to other companies and to the government.


I'm not saying mass commercialism hasn't made stuff, because obviously it's made a lot of stuff, most of it totally useless. What I am saying, is that there are better ways, than for money and profit.