Nuclear electric propulsion: An integral part of NASA’s nuclear propulsion project

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has initiated a technology program to establish the readiness of nuclear propulsion technology for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). This program was initiated in the past fiscal year with a very modest effort identified with nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP); however, nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) is also an integral part of this program and builds upon NASA’s Base Research and Technology Program in power and electric propulsion as well as the SP‐100 space nuclear power program. Although the Synthesis Group On America’s Space Exploration Initiative has identified NEP only as an option for cargo missions, recent studies conducted by NASA Lewis show that NEP offers the potential for the early manned Mars missions as well. Lower power NEP is also of current interest for outer planetary robotic missions. This paper reviews current plans for the overall nuclear propulsion project, with emphasis on NEP and those elements of NTP program which hav...