Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/NASA NTRS

NASA NTRS · 20240005364

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Ground Testing with the High-Pressure Real-Time Exhaust Processing System

Lindsey Holmes·Marc Neely·Jim Rector·Ricky Sasmal
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.

Explore related subjects

NTPEngine Ground TestingNTP Exhaust ProcessingNuclear Thermal PropulsionNTP Engine Ground Testing

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Lindsey Holmes, Marc Neely, Jim Rector, Ricky Sasmal. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Ground Testing with the High-Pressure Real-Time Exhaust Processing System. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20240005364

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

NASA NTRS2023

Parametric Modeling of NTP Engine Performance for a Crewed Mars Mission

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) has been studied extensively for use on a crewed mission to Mars, and NASA and DARPA are partnering in the development and demonstration of an NTP engine as part of the DRACO project. The specific impulse and thrust achieved by an engine in the context of a mission determines the propellant amount required to close the mission and the size of the vehicle required. An NTP engine has a slower start-up/shut-down transient than traditional chemical engines and requires post-firing cooling, and thus the average Isp for a burn is a function of the power ramp-up rate and the duration of the burn. An initial demonstration engine may target a lower Isp than the 900 sec that has been extensively studied by NASA. This paper shows the effect on the mission closure and vehicle sizing of the transient ramp rate performance and of lower than 900 sec specific impulse. Ammonia is considered as an alternate NTP propellant, with mission performance estimated.

NTP↗