Megawatt-class nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) systems for human missions require the development and maturation of a range of technologies. Many of the critical subsystems are relatively immature and present significant technological challenges when considering the requirements that must be met to realize a feasible spacecraft design. A large challenge for any nuclear system, but especially for one at the megawatt scale, is the capability to perform ground testing at relevant scales and power levels to mature each subsystem. These tests must also support modeling and simulation activities to demonstrate understanding of the important and controlling physical phenomena in the system and to aid in the prediction of lifetime capability for a full-duration mission. NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion project is pursuing a strategy that uses a building- block approach, maturing technologies for a 1 MWe block un- der the assumption that a future high-power NEP mission will have requirements that can be met either through straightforward scaling of this building block to the levels required or using multiple blocks to meet the overall power needs. This seminar will discuss the challenges of developing an in-space MWe- scale nuclear power source and an accompanying very large plasma propulsion system and present some potential advancement paths to pursue in this endeavor.
Speaker(s): Dr. Kurt Polzin,
Agenda:
3:30 Introduction
3:35 Presentation
4:45 Q&A
5:00 Conclusion
Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/334899