Nuclear rocket breakthrough: US scientists build molten uranium engine for faster missions
SMRTR summary
Nuclear scientists have developed a liquid uranium-fueled engine called the Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (CNTR), aiming to double spacecraft efficiency compared to current nuclear propulsion concepts. The CNTR uses molten uranium fuel in a centrifuge, with hydrogen gas bubbled through and expelled for thrust. It could achieve a specific impulse of 1500 seconds, significantly increasing spacecraft velocity while maintaining similar thrust levels to existing systems.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
Read the original article