Space X reveals its goals for the Future

Posted on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:19:03 GMT

Space Exploration Technologies Corp, Space X has announced its goals for heavy lift vehicles, beginning with the Falcon X and Super X family of launch Vehicles. At the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Joint Propulsion Conference in Nashville, Space X unveiled its exploration vision. Until recently Space X focused on (LEO) Low earth orbiting vehicles, but now they want to help get us to Mars and beyond! To get to Mars, it would take as many as 15 chemical-powered vehicles to perform the same mission as two nuclear-powered Earth-departure stage vehicles. The nuclear thermal vehicles would also be capable of faster transit times in the order of 170-210 days, With standard chemical rockets it would take up to 6 months and perhaps more!

Basic technology for the nuclear option could be derived from the Nerva (nuclear engine for rocket vehicle applications) program, Markusic says. Nerva was a joint NASA/Atomic Energy Commission effort of the 1960s. The program included more than 17 hr. of hot-fire tests and restarts, and will provide a suitable jumping-off point for a new development, he argues. “We don’t feel there would be any politically sensitive nuclear hot-fire testing needed,” he adds, saying that electric heating could be used to simulate the reactor core in future tests.

Some NASA propulsion specialists concur with SpaceX’s view of the potential of nuclear thermal systems for Mars missions. NASA Glenn Research Center’s chief propulsion and control systems analyst, Stanley Borowski, says that nuclear “technology was ground-tested 40 years ago, and it was better then for a Mars mission than our best chemical rockets today. Based on a comparison with a conventional liquid oxygen/hydrogen chemical rocket sized for a Mars mission, Borowski says the application of a high-power-density fission reactor core results in a 100% increase in specific impulse from 450 sec. to 900 sec.

I am certainly glad someone out there is considering the future, now maybe NASA teaming up with Space X could give our Space program the “boost it needs"!

Excerpts taken from Aviation week and the input of James Abbey

Space X Falcon 9 rocket on launch pad

Talk about this article in the discussion forum.

Not a member of Fly Away Simulation? Sign-up for a membership here!