NUCLEAR TIME JOURNEY MARS HOW TO

What's next: The report recommends NASA should make 'a significant set of architecture and investment decisions in the coming year,' if the space agency hopes to take nuclear options seriously. The report's authors also note it's difficult to test NTP safely on the ground.NTP, on the other hand, wouldn't need a complementary chemical system, but its propellant would need to stay warm, which is not the easiest thing to accomplish in space.With NEP, NASA would also need to develop some kind of chemical propulsion to get the craft out of Earth's and Mars' orbits.NEP, for example, would need its power scaled up by many orders of magnitude, according to the report, something that hasn't been achieved before.Yes, but: While both NEP and NTP could theoretically get people to Mars more quickly than chemical propulsion alone, both technologies have current limitations. 'Synergy with other space mission applications and terrestrial power programs is also significant and will bring about added value.”.What they're saying: 'Nuclear propulsion systems have the potential to substantially reduce trip time compared to non-nuclear approaches,' Roger Myers co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, said in a statement. The report, instead, assessed the current state of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) with an eye toward launching a crewed mission to Mars in 2039.NASA has used chemical propulsion - think fiery rockets - for its human exploration of the Moon, but solely relying on rockets for a trip to and from Mars could be costly and infeasible.

NUCLEAR TIME JOURNEY MARS HOW TO

What's happening: The new report from the National Academy of Sciences suggests NASA should start investing resources into learning more about how to safely test and use nuclear propulsion to get cargo and people to Mars. Why it matters: NASA has plans to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s, but the technology needed for such an extreme mission is still in development. However, there's still a long way to go before it's viable. Nuclear thermal propulsion is already part of defense plans, including for an orbital weapon. Nuclear power is a good bet to get people to and from Mars, according to a new report. A portion of the aerospace industry believes nuclear spaceflight is the key to reaching Mars.

Nuclear time journey mars