Fear of nuclear power holding us back

[SteveMick]

Nuci, I really appreciate your last post. I really do understand the advantages of nuclear power you mentioned and would honestly be delighted to see nuclear used anywhere in space where it is the superior choice based on mass/unit power, cost, and other such considerations. I really just wanted to point out that solar has some remarkable advantages that have not been fully exploited and that have not made their way into conventional wisdom. My optimism is based on the idea that we have a perfectly suitable fusion power plant that is on line continuously and only requires relatively low mass mirrors or lenses to harvest.

Large solar concentrators can function as solar furnaces for refining regolith, power solar thermal rockets( which can use almost anything as propellent but hydrogen is most efficient), produce electricity via concentrator type solar cells, use that to power solar plasma propulsion systems, or double as microwave antennas, radio telescopes or microwave power transmission and receiving antennas. Given that, I think you'll agree that there are likely to be many areas of activity in space for which they'll be the best choice.

Steve

 

[neilsox]

I agree we can do, more, better and eventually cheaper with nuclear propulsion. But the fear of possible polution due to a launch failure is real. Neil

 

[neutrino78x]

I agree we can do, more, better and eventually cheaper with nuclear propulsion. But the fear of possible polution due to a launch failure is real. Neil

Indeed, I would prefer space nuclear reactors to be built in space, or if not, at least, they should not be critical/hot when launched. It should be impossible for a chain reaction to be started while the reactor is on the ground.

--Brian

 

[EarthlingX]

Russians are not afraid of nuclear:
Russia to start research into spacecraft nuclear engines in 2010

Russia will launch research into nuclear engines for spaceships from 2010, the head of the Federal Space Agency said on Sunday.

"Nuclear engines for spaceships are a very promising area. Such engines should be created to make flights to Mars and other planets, for example," Anatoly Perminov said.

Perminov earlier said that the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Perminov said that the draft design of spacecraft powered by a nuclear engine would be finalized by 2012, and the financing for further development in the next nine years would require an investment of at least 17 billion rubles (over $580 million).

Anatoly Koroteyev, president of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics and head of the Keldysh research center, earlier said that the key scientific and technical problem in sending manned missions to the Moon and Mars was the development of new propulsion systems and energy supplies with a high degree of energy-mass efficiency.

The current capabilities of the Russian space industry are clearly insufficient either to set up a permanent base on the Moon or accomplish an independent manned mission to Mars, he said.

BAIKONUR SPACE CENTER (Kazakhstan), December 20 (RIA Novosti)

I have a strong feeling, that after that, Chinese might be tempted too ...

 

[EarthlingX]

And from talking to financing (RIA Novosti) :
Russia toys with exotic nuclear space projects

27/01/2010

Russia is pondering new applications for yet-to-be-built nuclear-powered spacecraft, including military satellites, nuclear power plants, and space tugs, Energia space corporation said Wednesday.