Nuclear Power and Propulsion for Enhanced Planetary Science Exploration

Abstract

The exploration of outer planets and icy moons demands advanced propulsion and power solutions to overcome the limitations of chemical and solar-electric systems. This paper highlights the transformative potential of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) and nuclear power systems for deep-space missions. NTP systems, with their high thrust and specific impulse, enable reduced trip times and increased payload capacity, facilitating flagship-class missions to distant worlds. Nuclear power systems provide sustained energy for high-power instruments, such as ice-penetrating radars, LIDARs, and mass spectrometers, critical for investigating subsurface oceans and detecting organic compounds. Additionally, they enable high-rate data transmission over vast distances, ensuring maximum scientific return from robotic missions to the outer solar system.