NASA and General Atomics test nuclear fuel for future moon and Mars missions

[Admin]

General Atomics and NASA achieved an important milestone on the road to using nuclear-powered rockets by testing a new fuel and finding it can withstand extreme conditions.

NASA and General Atomics test nuclear fuel for future moon and Mars missions : Read more

 

[rustythebailiff]

I wonder if they are using any of the data from the NERVA project

 

[Unclear Engineer]

I would expect them to use whatever data is available, including from the NERVA and KIWI thermal nuclear rocket projects from 60 years ago.

And I would expect General Atomic to also be using the data from their fuel for the Fort St.Vrain commercial nuclear power plant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Saint_Vrain_Nuclear_Power_Plant

That reactor used graphite blocks with holes for the passage of helium coolant. The nuclear fuel was in the form of uranium particles covered with a three-layer coating (TRISO-II) , consisting of an inner layer of porous pyrolytic carbon, an intermediate layer of silicon carbide (S iC) J and an outer layer of highly impervious. high density isotropic pyrolytic carbon. The intent of the coatings was to contain the radioactive fission products. https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1008/ML100820279.pdf