"Roskosmos" ordered the creation of a nuclear power propulsion system for interplanetary flights
According to the Federal Space Program for 2016–2025 in 2025, a flight test sample of a spacecraft with a nuclear power plant for interplanetary flights, including to Mars, must be tested. Roskosmos on government procurement placed an order for the creation of a transport and energy module by 2018, and the Research Center for them. Keldysh became the executor of the order for 3.8 billion rubles.
The creation of a nuclear power propulsion system for spacecraft will make it possible to carry out long interplanetary flights. Orbiters have enough energy from solar batteries, but this will not be enough for a flight to Mars. The NPP will generate electricity that will be used by an electric rocket engine (ERE) and on-board systems. It is important not to confuse the power plant with a nuclear rocket engine .
Acceptance of the first batch of fuel elements for installation took place in March 2016. Prior to this research center. Keldysh designed and manufactured a prototype of the ID-500 ion engine. Its power is 32-35 kW, the thrust is 375-750 mN, the specific impulse is 70000 m / s, the efficiency is 0.75.
To complete the transport and energy module, it is necessary to prepare a nuclear power propulsion unit. At its creation, the center will receive from Roscosmos 3.8 billion rubles.
In total, it was planned to spend 20 billion rubles on the implementation of a project to create a transport energy module, 17 billion of which from the state budget.
Candidate of Chemical Sciences Vladimir Teslenko believesRussia is the absolute world monopolist in the development of an energy-generating unit with a megawatt-class nuclear reactor. The project involves the use of ionic electroactive engines. In them, jet thrust is created by the flow of ions accelerated by an electric field. In addition to long-term work on one connection, the project has other important characteristics: it is a resource of up to 10 years of operation and a significant overhaul interval. The development of nuclear jet engines involved in the USSR and the USA in 1959-1989, but the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant forced to postpone this work.
The creation of a nuclear power propulsion system for spacecraft will make it possible to carry out long interplanetary flights. Orbiters have enough energy from solar batteries, but this will not be enough for a flight to Mars. The NPP will generate electricity that will be used by an electric rocket engine (ERE) and on-board systems. It is important not to confuse the power plant with a nuclear rocket engine .
Acceptance of the first batch of fuel elements for installation took place in March 2016. Prior to this research center. Keldysh designed and manufactured a prototype of the ID-500 ion engine. Its power is 32-35 kW, the thrust is 375-750 mN, the specific impulse is 70000 m / s, the efficiency is 0.75.
To complete the transport and energy module, it is necessary to prepare a nuclear power propulsion unit. At its creation, the center will receive from Roscosmos 3.8 billion rubles.
In total, it was planned to spend 20 billion rubles on the implementation of a project to create a transport energy module, 17 billion of which from the state budget.
Candidate of Chemical Sciences Vladimir Teslenko believesRussia is the absolute world monopolist in the development of an energy-generating unit with a megawatt-class nuclear reactor. The project involves the use of ionic electroactive engines. In them, jet thrust is created by the flow of ions accelerated by an electric field. In addition to long-term work on one connection, the project has other important characteristics: it is a resource of up to 10 years of operation and a significant overhaul interval. The development of nuclear jet engines involved in the USSR and the USA in 1959-1989, but the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant forced to postpone this work.