NASA and General atomic Test Future Moon and Mars Mission

The first human being to Mars will one day ride a rocket promoted by a reactor to the destination. But before it occurred, the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) technology still has a way to go before explosion of astronauts through the universe of the nuclear rocket.

But early this month, we worked with NASA in GA-EMS (General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems) to achieve important milestones for using NTP rocket. In the Marshall Space Flight Center in NASA in Alabama, General Atomics tested a new NTP reactor fuel to find out if fuel could work on extreme space conditions.

According to the company leadership, the test shows that fuel can withstand the harsh conditions of space flight. General SCOTT FORNEY said, “We are very encouraged by the positive test results that fuel can survive in these operating conditions, and further realize the potential of safe and reliable nuclear heating for CISLUNAR and in -depth space missions. It moves close. In the statement.

To test the fuel, the general nuclear power was taken by taking the sample and using six thermal cycles to quickly increase the temperature to 2600 degrees Kelvin or Fahrenheit 4,220 degrees using hot hydrogen. Nuclear heating fuel on the spaceship should survive at extreme temperatures and be able to be exposed to hot hydrogen gas.

In order to test how fuel can maintain these conditions as a stand, the general atoms performed additional tests with various protection functions to obtain additional data on how other materials improved the performance of the fuel under the terms similar to the reactor. It is. According to the company, this type of test was the first.

“As far as we know, we are the first company that uses NASA MSFC’s CFEET (Compact Fuel Element Environmental Test) facility to successfully test and demonstrate the possibility of survival of fuel after heat circulation at hydrogen representative temperature and lamp speed.” Christina. Again, Atomics Nuclear Technology and Materials Governor said in the same statement.

NASA and General Atomics have found that up to 3,000 Kelvins (4,940 FahRenheit or 2,727 Celsius) were exposed to tests and tested fuel. According to the back, this means that the NTP system using fuel can work 2-3 times more efficiently than the current rocket engine.

One of the main reasons for NASA to create an NTP rocket is that it can be much faster than today’s rocket, so it is promoted as a traditional chemical fuel.

If the shipping time gets faster, the risk of astronauts can be reduced. This is because longer travel requires more supply and powerful systems to support astronauts while traveling to destinations. There is also a radiation problem. The more astronauts are in space, the more space radiation is applied. If the flight time is short, these risks can be reduced, resulting in a deep space human universe possibility.

In 2023, NASA and Developed Resed Reseds Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that NASA is studying the nuclear rogue engine to send the crew spaceship to Mars. The agency hopes to start protests in early 2027.

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