nuclear rocket
Fission-powered space vehicle
A nuclear rocket is a spacecraft propulsion system that uses nuclear reactions—either fission or fusion—to generate thrust, typically by heating a propellant like hydrogen to extreme temperatures.
Nuclear rockets promise far greater efficiency than chemical rockets for deep-space missions: Nuclear rockets could cut Mars travel time in half.
The technology has been tested but never deployed operationally.
Forceful forward motion
- reactorControlled fission apparatus
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
thermal · nozzle · propellant · chain reaction · neutrons · hydrogen · core · fuel rods
Between celestial bodies
- Mars missionVoyage to fourth planet
- lunarOf the moon
- deep spaceRemote regions beyond planets
- transit timeTime to reach destination
payload · trajectory · orbital · crewed mission · spacecraft · probe · NASA · cargo
thrust
Forceful forward motion
plutonium · thermal · nozzle · propellant · chain reaction · neutrons · hydrogen · core · fuel rods · coolant
interplanetary
Between celestial bodies
- Mars missionVoyage to fourth planet
- lunarOf the moon
- deep spaceRemote regions beyond planets
transit time · payload · trajectory · orbital · crewed mission · spacecraft · probe · NASA · cargo · booster
- rocketsballistic missile, booster, boosters, Saturn V, Falcon 9
- Nuclear VesselsUSS Nautilus, USS Nimitz, USS Enterprise, Lenin, submarine
nuclear, rocket, nucleus, nuclei, nucleic, nucleate, nucleated, nucleotide, nucleotides