Published on February 21, 2017
NASA’s history with nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) technology goes back to the earliest days of the Agency. The Manned Lunar Rover Vehicle and the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications programs ran from soon after NASA’s inception in 1958 until 1972. Since then, consistent recognition exists that an NTP-based vehicle design remains an important and viable option for exploration of Mars and beyond. NTP offers virtually unlimited energy density and a specific impulse roughly double that of the highest performing traditional chemical systems.
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