Russia hopes nuclear ship will fly humans to Mars

[Baack]

MOSCOW – Russia should build a new nuclear-powered spaceship for prospective manned missions to Mars and other planets, the nation's space chief said Thursday.
Anatoly Perminov first proposed building the ship at a government meeting Wednesday but didn't explain its purpose. President Dmitry Medvedev backed the project and urged the government to find the money.
In remarks posted Thursday on his agency's Web site, Perminov said the nuclear spaceship should be used for human flights to Mars and other planets. He said the project is challenging technologically, but could capitalize on the Soviet and Russian experience in the field.
Perminov said the preliminary design could be ready by 2012, and then it would take nine more years and cost 17 billion rubles (about $600 million, or euro400 million) to build the ship.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091029/...lear_spaceship

[Ridgerunner665]

Only $600 million...dang, NASA wound have stated at least a few billion.

There is a lot of "not yet invented" technology standing in the way of this...and nuclear power in a space ship??? Nuclear reactions power subs and boats the same way they do power plants...they use heat to generate electricity.

How can electricity propel a space craft? It could provide electricity for the ship..but I don't see how it could propel it through space (or even our atmosphere).

[Baack]

I like this plan even better
North Korea to capure the moon

[kajidono]

Originally Posted by Ridgerunner665

Only $600 million...dang, NASA wound have stated at least a few billion.

There is a lot of "not yet invented" technology standing in the way of this...and nuclear power in a space ship??? Nuclear reactions power subs and boats the same way they do power plants...they use heat to generate electricity.

How can electricity propel a space craft? It could provide electricity for the ship..but I don't see how it could propel it through space (or even our atmosphere).

I'm not sure how the nuclear engines work, I'd have to go study them again. I know they do work and I know the soviets make some of the best spacecraft. We went for technology and advanced designs while they settled on a few proven designs and perfected them. They have the most efficient ion engine ever designed.

[Ridgerunner665]

Originally Posted by kajidono

I'm not sure how the nuclear engines work, I'd have to go study them again. I know they do work and I know the soviets make some of the best spacecraft. We went for technology and advanced designs while they settled on a few proven designs and perfected them. They have the most efficient ion engine ever designed.

Don't take my post to mean I was saying they couldn't do it...I'm sure they can (and will)


Just that I'm not so sure nuclear power (in its current form) can propel a space craft.

They'll have to harness, control, and sustain much more violent reactions than what is required to generate electricity...risky business.

[kajidono]

Eh, it depends. The engine doesn't lift the ship from the ground, they have regular boosters for that. It's only meant to push a weightless vessel through empty space in a straight line. Doesn't take much.

[Ridgerunner665]

Originally Posted by kajidono

Eh, it depends. The engine doesn't lift the ship from the ground, they have regular boosters for that. It's only meant to push a weightless vessel through empty space in a straight line. Doesn't take much.

I'm no expert on nuclear physics (if I was, I'd be some where besides sitting in this damned old truck...maybe)

But I can't figure out how to direct energy (exhaust) from a nuclear reaction...its going to be REALLY hot from any sort of reaction big enough to exceed the speeds that we are now able to reach in space flight. (hotter than current booster exhaust by several orders of magnitude)

Something has to be "exhaust" in order to push the craft along...I know it doesn't take much to move an object in space. Even solar wind can do it...but they say it would take years and years to gain any speed, however....once you got going and moving with those winds, they travel at near the speed of light. (appx. 186,000 miles per second)

I have heard of the Ion engines...but don't remember exactly what they are. (Discovery Channel)

[kajidono]

They fire a stream of ions to move the ship. Those are the ones that take a very long time to accelerate but they can reach incredible speeds. Deep, deep space engines. But, that's just from a little stream of ions. Remember the ship has 0 weight, so even using something that tiny does move it right along.

Here's one nuclear engine: [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

I've no idea if they've done something else with a new design, they probably have.

[Ridgerunner665]

Ah...yes.

I think thats where we are agreeing but not seeing eye to eye...so to speak.

The speed potential is there even with the small streams of Ions...I get what you're saying now.

I'm looking at it from a drag racers point of view...where's the acceleration???

Thats gonna take a bit more "oomph".

[kajidono]

Chemical engines. You build the whole thing on the ground in pieces, like the ISS. You launch them all separately and assemble the ship in space. Then you launch the supplies, the fuel, and finally, the crew. All they have to do is kick the tires and light the fires from high orbit.

They did design nuclear engines that could lift payloads from the ground. The engines put out a bit less thrust and required a bit more fuel but they were so much lighter that they figured a Saturn V could lift an extra 28,000lbs of payload. So they do put out enough to pin you against the seat quite nicely. I think the main thing with them was complexity and materials used. That and the first failure they had would have spread radioactive fallout over an unknown area thus freaking out the general public.