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Propulsion & TechnologyOther - NASA Handbook (NHB)

Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Material Property Handbook

20241 min read82 words
Justin L Milner, Peter Karkos, and Jessica Jane Bowers
Glenn Research Center

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) as a thrust mechanism for spacecraft. An initial Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) launch will serve as a test of the technology in Earth’s orbit. Future work may involve the development of an NTP engine and spacecraft design with the capability to transport astronauts from Earth to Mars and back safely, though NTP has other potential uses too.


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