Russia to Develop Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft
:: 11.01.2010
The Russian government plans to allocate millions of dollars to develop a spacecraft propelled by nuclear power. The proposed design could provide the only feasible way to travel to Mars.
Some $600 million will be spent on developing the spacecraft, whose nuclear-powered engine will allow it to enter orbit without relying on energy from other sources. The spacecraft’s engine is also expected to be significantly lighter, allowing it to travel faster.
Andrey Ionin, an expert on space research, says the project will open doors for multi-lateral collaboration.
“A project as large-scale as a flight to Mars cannot be carried out by a single country, not even the United States,” Ionin noted. “If Russia were to contribute this technology to the global space project, it would be a great contribution indeed. This is a great design. No one has anything like it. And this would make Russia a full-fledged partner in this truly universal endeavor.”
Yury Karash, another space expert, shares Ionin’s enthusiasm about the project’s significance. He said that “Russia has a fairly good chance of being the first country to launch a non-landing expedition to Mars in 12-14 years, providing that adequate funding will be allocated for the project."
Both the US and the Soviet Union have previous experience with nuclear-powered spacecraft, having worked on its research and development in the 1950s and 1960s. However, after some success, the projects were abandoned.
In the meantime, skeptics warn about the potential risks of the project, referring to past tragic incidents such as the crash of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003. The main cause for alarm is the thought of what could happen if the nuclear-powered spacecraft were to crash, producing consequences similar to those of the Chernobyl disaster.
Radiation may be a serious environmental concern, but some space threats could be much more dangerous. Anatoly Koroteev, head of the new spaceship development programme, says nuclear power could help protect our planet from asteroids.
“We have all heard of deep space missions such as flying to the Moon, Mars or other planets. But this new technology could be used to solve other challenges such as protecting the Earth from asteroids. Until recently, no one though about it seriously, but today it is clear that it is no laughing matter, especially since the discovery of Apophis, the alleged asteroid which could collide with our planet in 2036,” said Anatoly Koroteev, Keldysh Research Center Director.
The draft design of the spacecraft is slated to be ready by 2012, while the actual model is expected to be developed by 2018.
http://rt.com/Sci_Tech/2010-01-12/nuclear-spacecraft-space-mars.html
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