In an article that I read on Wired Science I learned that the Russian Federation has recently started funding of a plan to build nuclear powered rockets. This a momentous breakthrough in the future of space exploration. In this article I learned that if Russian President Dimitry Medvedev approves the plan for a nuclear powered rocket it would be built by 2012, and ready for use as early as 2015-2018. Through further research I learned that this plan has long sense been approved and the Russians, along with some slight co-cooperation from the EU, are well on their way to building this rocket.
If such a rocket is built than the future of space exploration is a very bright and fruitful one. At this current time modern rockets, such as this Russian Soyuz Rocket, can only propel objects into space and no farther. This means that objects in space have to relay on the gravitational pull of planets in order to travel through space. With the current technology it would take years to travel to Mars, and the crew would be forced to spend that time in cramped and miserable conditions. With a nuclear powered rocket scientists estimate that it will only take 6 months to reach Mars. Nuclear engines are more than twice as powerful as conventional engines, are drastically smaller, do not require conventional fuel and can run for more than 20 years with out maintenance. This translates to being able to lift large amounts of objects, or humans, in great comfort and distances in an extremely short time. If a nuclear powered rocket is built, than it is only a short matter of time before humans are on Mars.
I doubt this article for a couple of reasons: First, it was published in Wired, which tends to gives estimated dates (to inspire hype, and to give the articles credibility) when none actually exist; second, the most space programs are short on money right now and don't have funding to work on new techs, and private sector companies won't invest in technology that won't work until 2015 at the earliest; three, because the built prototypes are nowhere near where they need to be to be feasible. I've seen the concepts behind the engines, and they seem to make sense, but no one has built one capable of generating lift on the sort of scale needed to accelerate a rocket yet.
ReplyDeleteI will be very surprised if we see this withing the given timeframe.
Evan, I know that this article is sketchy, but it was the only science website where I could find any information. I have found a bountifulamount of information on various news sources though. If you want to find more information just google Russian Nuclear Rocket and you will findl plenty of other sources.
ReplyDeleteEven though i do think Evan has a point on the sketchiness of websites. Honestly, what websites aren't trying to create hype about the articles they are posting up? isn't that what they want in order to get more money?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this article is really cool:) but im curious:)
If the rocket is really only there to hurl things into space and then they have to rely on the gravitational pull of the planets to get around, What if something was to happen were the objects went off track and in danger all of the people out in those objects? since 6 months is a very long time to be on a rocket heading to a different planet.. well.. How would we be so sure that when the people come back to earth from mars that their bodies wouldn't become so weak from the gravity now having a strain on them that they wouldn't live very long? I guess i'm just wondering is the idea of going to a different planet really that important in the next few years that we have to put the astronauts life in danger? maybe i have read the post a little off or something but those are the things that just came into my head when i read that... :)
nice post tho!
Norah, that is the problem with space travel. But fortunatly for us their have been people who spend that much time in space. Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov became the first crew to spend a year in space in 1987 aboard the Mir Space Station. They are both in fine health right now. But if they did get side tracked and got lost in space than chances are they would die. But that is a risk of space travel.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering about the safety of a nuclear powered rocket. Would the nuclear nature of the rocket be safe to both the earth's environment and to people who live nearby where it lifts off, also, would this different fuel help the astronauts get home as well?
ReplyDeleteAre there any side affect to having nuclear powered rockets? It seems that there could potentially be a lot of problem that could go on like what if the generator stops working or explodes on take off. Nuclear power seems to be something sensitive from what I know which is little but couldn't the launch be to vigorous for the generators to handle?
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