Plutonium to Pluto: Russian nuclear space travel breakthrough

[Zyraz]

A ground-breaking Russian nuclear space-travel propulsion system will be ready by 2017 and will power a ship capable of long-haul interplanetary missions by 2025, giving Russia a head start in the outer-space race.

The megawatt-class nuclear drive will function for up to three years and produce 100-150 kilowatts of energy at normal capacity.

The new project proposes the use of an electric ion propulsion system. The engines exhaust thrust will be generated by an ion flow, which is further accelerated by an electric field.

The nuclear reactor will therefore "supply" the necessary amount of electric power without unwanted radioactive contamination of the environment.

Xenon will serve as propellant for the engines.

It is under development at Skolkovo, Russia's technology innovation hub, whose nuclear cluster head Denis Kovalevich confirmed the breakthrough to Interfax. "At present we are testing several types of fuel and later we will start drafting the design," he said.

While the engine is expected to be fully assembled by 2017 the accompanying craft will not be ready before 2025 former head of Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov, told Interfax.

Scientists expect to start putting the new engine through its paces in operational tests as early as 2014.

The Russian government began the ambitious project in 2010 with an investment of approximately $17 million dollars and is expected to shell out $247 million over the next five years to complete the engine.

The idea of using a nuclear propulsion system to power space missions is not altogether new. It came about in the 1960s and was the brainchild of three Russian academics, Mstislav Keldysh, Igor Kurchatov and Sergey Korolev in the Soviet Union.

Research into the field was subsequently carried out not only in the Soviet Union, but also in the US, although with a view to creating a new weapon rather than the advancement of space travel.

The stumbling block that has faced scientists over the last couple of years is that as a craft travels further away from the sun's rays, solar energy weakens and cannot produce the necessary energy to power electric engines through its solar panels.

Nuclear power has generally been considered a good alternative to chemical fuels to power space craft, as it is the only energy source capable of producing the enormous thrust needed for fast interplanetary travel.

NASA embarked on a project to develop a nuclear engine capable of powering a space craft, but funding was cut in 2003.

The revolutionary propulsion system falls in line with recently announced plans for Russia to conquer space. Last month, the Russian Federal Space Agency released its ambitious scheme to explore our solar system in the coming years.

Entitled Space Development Strategies up to 2030, Russia aims to send probes to Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, as well as establish a series of bases on the moon.

Source

 

[w1z4rd]

I hope this is true, but I am very suspicious on anything a Russian scientist says. Its normally followed by something unbelievable. I hope they did get this right.

 

[ponder]

I hope this is true, but I am very suspicious on anything a Russian scientist says. Its normally followed by something unbelievable. I hope they did get this right.

When it comes to space the ruskies have generally been ahead of the game.

 

[Kosmik]

I wonder how they overcome the whole speed issue. It's great to have an engine that can power a craft between planets and the principal that in a vacuum there's no resistance means a craft basically can accelerate for ages and keep ramping up the velocity but the problem still exists for safety and the chances of collision with debris at high speeds. We have an engine that has huge fuel potential but how fast is sustainable?

Love to know those answers.

 

[ponder]

Love to know those answers.

"Engage shields Mr. Sulu!"

 

[w1z4rd]

When it comes to space the ruskies have generally been ahead of the game.

http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/01/11/photos-taken-inside-a-russian-space-rocket-factory/

They are still using their dated rockets to send people into space and do you see the state of those factories now? The only area I know that Russia is ahead of the USA so far as space tech goes is they have better solid fuel based rockets. What else do they have thats better than the yanks?

Remember, these are the same people that claimed a radar station in Alaska took out one of their phobos devices. I dont take what they say too seriously.

 

[Zyraz]

I dont take what they say too seriously.

Not even if the lady in the pic says it ?
(right click view image in OP)

 

[OMB]

watch NASA suddenly receive funding if this is true

 

[The_Unnamed]

http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/01/11/photos-taken-inside-a-russian-space-rocket-factory/

They are still using their dated rockets to send people into space and do you see the state of those factories now? The only area I know that Russia is ahead of the USA so far as space tech goes is they have better solid fuel based rockets. What else do they have thats better than the yanks?

Remember, these are the same people that claimed a radar station in Alaska took out one of their phobos devices. I dont take what they say too seriously.

They have less of a health and safety concern than the yanks. That alone will get them further. Being too cautious is slowing down our progression in this universe.

 

[Alan]

When it comes to space the ruskies have generally been ahead of the game.

if you're stuck in the sixties.....

 

[w1z4rd]

They have less of a health and safety concern than the yanks. That alone will get them further. Being too cautious is slowing down our progression in this universe.

Uhuh, then when they ganna land on the moon?

 

[The_Unnamed]

Uhuh, then when they ganna land on the moon?

Hipster Russians knew the moon was not all it was made out to be .

 

[Ockie]

"Engage shields Mr. Sulu!"

Dammit! you beat me too it! tsk

 

[w1z4rd]

Hipster Russians knew the moon was not all it was made out to be .

Well for something that they were not interested in, they sure spent a lot of money not being interested
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_manned_lunar_programs

Russian hipsters wasted even more money trying to keep up with Regans, "Star Wars" program

 

[Kosmik]

"Engage shields Mr. Sulu!"

Trekkie

But it's a serious problem. Caught some shows on Discovery discussing it and ideas about getting around it.

 

[Kosmik]

http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/01/11/photos-taken-inside-a-russian-space-rocket-factory/
What else do they have thats better than the yanks?

An active space program

 

[Ockie]

Uhuh, then when they ganna land on the moon?

You assuming the Americans did.

 

[ponder]

They are still using their dated rockets to send people into space and do you see the state of those factories now?

if you're stuck in the sixties.....

If it was not for the russians the ISS would have been a pipe dream or taken a lot longer to get of the ground, you will hear US & Euro scientists uttering these words.

As for old rockets they might be old but they were revolutionary in that no one thought the technology could be made to work. After the fall of the iron curtain the yanks scrambled to buy & license some Kuznetsov NK series engines from the russians that have been lying in storage for about 30yrs. They are buying and licensing NPO Energomash RD series engines.

 

[w1z4rd]

You assuming the Americans did.

Yes, me and the rest of humanity who has eyesight.

If it was not for the russians the ISS would have been a pipe dream or taken a lot longer to get of the ground, you will hear US & Euro scientists uttering these words.

I dont disagree with this.

As for old rockets they might be old but they were revolutionary in that no one thought the technology could be made to work. After the fall of the iron curtain the yanks scrambled to buy & license some Kuznetsov NK series engines from the russians that have been lying in storage for about 30yrs. They are buying and licensing NPO Energomash RD series engines.

Im pretty sure I stated that their best tech is their rockets

 

[ponder]

http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/01/11/photos-taken-inside-a-russian-space-rocket-factory/

That looks a lot like scenes out of Deus Ex human Revolution which I finished on Sunday!