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Russia to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft
Published: 12 January, 2010, 10:14
Edited: 17 February, 2010, 07:35
TAGS: Nuclear, Space, Russia, SciTech
The Russian government plans to allocate millions of dollars to develop a spacecraft propelled by nuclear power. The proposed design could provide the only feasible way to travel to Mars.
Some $600 million will be spent on developing the spacecraft, whose nuclear-powered engine will allow it to enter orbit without relying on energy from other sources. The spacecraft’s engine is also expected to be significantly lighter, allowing it to travel faster.
Andrey Ionin, an expert on space research, says the project will open doors for multi-lateral collaboration.
“A project as large-scale as a flight to Mars cannot be carried out by a single country, not even the United States,” Ionin noted. “If Russia were to contribute this technology to the global space project, it would be a great contribution indeed. This is a great design. No one has anything like it. And this would make Russia a full-fledged partner in this truly universal endeavor.”
Yury Karash, another space expert, shares Ionin’s enthusiasm about the project’s significance. He said that “Russia has a fairly good chance of being the first country to launch a non-landing expedition to Mars in 12-14 years, providing that adequate funding will be allocated for the project."
Both the US and the Soviet Union have previous experience with nuclear-powered spacecraft, having worked on its research and development in the 1950s and 1960s. However, after some success, the projects were abandoned.
In the meantime, skeptics warn about the potential risks of the project, referring to past tragic incidents such as the crash of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003. The main cause for alarm is the thought of what could happen if the nuclear-powered spacecraft were to crash, producing consequences similar to those of the Chernobyl disaster.
Radiation may be a serious environmental concern, but some space threats could be much more dangerous. Anatoly Koroteev, head of the new spaceship development programme, says nuclear power could help protect our planet from asteroids.
“We have all heard of deep space missions such as flying to the Moon, Mars or other planets. But this new technology could be used to solve other challenges such as protecting the Earth from asteroids. Until recently, no one though about it seriously, but today it is clear that it is no laughing matter, especially since the discovery of Apophis, the alleged asteroid which could collide with our planet in 2036,” said Anatoly Koroteev, Keldysh Research Center Director.
The draft design of the spacecraft is slated to be ready by 2012, while the actual model is expected to be developed by 2018.
11.01.2010, 08:53
2 comments
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What people fail to realize is that nearly 2000 nuclear bombs have been detonated on Earth. Just as tests. Very few since the nuclear test ban treaty however. And now people seem to think a single nuke exploding would have incredibly massive consequences or whatever. And it's true, a nuke dropped in war would be a truly horrible terrible thing that could escalate into a nuclear war that bombs much of the human race into a new radioactive stone age. But a nuke exploding in a failed attempt to launch a spacecraft is worth the risk.
But I think sending a nuclear rocket to Mars would be a waste and not worth the risk. We can get to Mars with conventional rockets within a year. Save the nuclear rocket for a journey to Europa or some other promising water bearing moon. But that is many decades in the future.
Actually Petrenko there is already plenty of radiation in space from deep space (cosmic rays stopped by our Magnetic Field) and of course the Solar wind. The shielding required for the nuclear propulsion could be designed in such a way that the crew could use it to shield them from the sun during times of extreme solar activity.
Actually, I've changed my mind. In an earlier comment I said a Mars nuclear rocket wasn't worth it. I believe my opinion was shortsighted. Yes, we likely could get to Mars with more conventional rockets, but to get a lot of stuff to Mars, to truly colonize the red planet, that nuclear rocket would really make that more possible. It would open up the solar system in ways conventional spacecraft cannot.