Rolls-Royce and the British Space Agency are cooperating to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft engines, which will allow us to reach Mars in just three months
- These companies will explore the potential of nuclear energy as an energy source
- Nuclear-powered spacecraft engines can cut the time to Mars in half
- They can also reduce the radiation dose received by astronauts
British aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency have formed an unlikely alliance to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft engines.
This cooperation will allow the two organizations to work together to explore the potential of nuclear power as an energy source for future expeditions in space.
If successful, a nuclear-powered spacecraft can shorten the time to Mars to three to four months, about half of the current chemical engine.
More importantly, the reduced travel time will mean that the astronauts on the spacecraft will receive less radiation during the flight, thereby making future trips to Mars or other planets safer.
If successful, the nuclear-powered spacecraft engine could shorten the time to Mars to three to four months, about half of the current system.
NASA previously described nuclear propulsion as “a technology that changes the rules of the game for deep space exploration.”
It involves directing the release of energy when splitting atoms, thereby accelerating the propellant at tremendous speeds.
Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency predict that this engine may be twice as efficient as the chemical engines currently used to power rockets, thereby shortening the time of flight half.
Dr. Graham Turnk, Chief Executive Officer of the United Kingdom Space Agency, said: “Space nuclear energy and propulsion is a game-changing concept that can unlock future deep space missions that will take us to Mars and beyond.
This research will help us understand the exciting potential of atomic-powered spacecraft and whether this emerging technology can help us go one step further and travel through space faster than ever before.
Nuclear-powered engines can also enable astronauts to enter deep space more safely.
As travel time is cut in half, astronauts will receive lower doses of radiation, which can protect them from radiation sickness and cancer.
Rolls-Royce (Rolls-Royce) and the UK Space Agency (UK Space Agency) predict that this engine may be twice as efficient as the chemical engines currently used to power rockets, thereby shortening the flight time half
NASA explained: “Space radiation may expose astronauts to a significant risk of radiation sickness and increase the lifetime risk of cancer, central nervous system effects and degenerative diseases.”
Dave Gordon, Senior Vice President of the Ministry of Defence, Rolls-Royce, said: “We are delighted to be working with the British Space Agency on this groundbreaking project to define the future of space nuclear power technology.
“We believe that the UK has a real niche capability in this area, and the program can be built on a strong UK nuclear network and supply chain.
“As we continue to develop the power to protect our planet, protect our world, and explore our universe, we hope to develop this project and other exciting space projects in the future.”
The idea of nuclear-powered spacecraft engines is not new.
NASA launched a program in 1961 to develop nuclear-powered engines, although the program was terminated in 1972 due to cuts in the space budget.
Now, more than 45 years later, NASA is once again committed to the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) system.
“We are developing a first-generation NTP system with great growth potential,” said Doyce’Sonny’Mitchell, NTP project manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Hansville.
The timetable for the NASA project is unclear.
NASA plans to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s after the first moon landing
Mars has become the next giant leap in human exploration of space.
However, before humans reach the red planet, astronauts will take a series of small steps to return to the moon for a one-year mission.
The details of the lunar orbital mission have been announced as part of the timeline of events leading to the flight to Mars in the 2030s.
NASA outlined its four-phase plan (pictured), hoping that it will one day enable humans to visit Mars at the “Human to Mars Summit” held yesterday in Washington, DC.In the coming decades, this will require multiple missions to the moon
In May 2017, Greg Williams, deputy director of policy and planning at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), outlined the space agency’s four-phase plan, hoping that the plan will one day enable humans to visit Mars, and it is expected Its timetable.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 It will involve multiple trips in lunar space to allow the construction of a habitat, thereby providing a transitional area for the journey.
The final hardware delivered will be the actual deep space transport vehicle, which will then be used to carry the crew to Mars.
A one-year simulation of life on Mars will be conducted in 2027.
The third and fourth phases will begin after 2030, which will involve continuous expeditions to the Mars system and the surface of Mars.
