ISRO is going to take a huge leap. Now it is moving towards making rockets that run on nuclear power instead of rockets that fly on chemical engines. Such rockets will be most beneficial for deep space missions. They will cover large distances of a planet in less time
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is now going to work on a rocket running on nuclear fuel. The initial design of this rocket has also been revealed. If in the next few years it becomes a rocket powered by nuclear engine, then India can send its spacecraft to any distant planet in the shortest possible time.
The advantage of nuclear rockets will be that in future missions to the Moon and Mars, astronauts will not face any problem in returning. There will be no worries about fuel. Nuclear fueled rockets will prove to be excellent for all missions outside the solar system. Because this kind of facility is necessary for such deep space missions.
Information has also come to light that ISRO and Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) are jointly developing Radio Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs). At present, chemical engines are used in rockets and satellites. But if you have to go to a planet and return, then these chemical engines will prove to be weak. These will take a lot of fuel.
If there are rockets running on nuclear energy then you can do missions outside the solar system. Besides, by sending Indian astronauts to Mars, they can also be called back. It is believed that both the highest institutions of the country have started work on this. So that they can be used soon. testing etc. can be done
How could India’s nuclear engine rocket be?
A rocket with a nuclear engine will be different from a normal nuclear engine. It will not be like a nuclear engine that generates electricity. There will be no nuclear fission in this. Rather, radioactive materials will be used in RTG. Like- Plutonium-238 or Strontium-90. When these substances decompose, they produce a lot of heat. There will be two major parts in such an engine.
In the first part, the radioactive material will be heated in the radioisotope heater unit. After this there will be RTG. In which heat will be converted into electricity. After this the heat will be sent to the thermocouple. That is, like a rod, one part of which will be hot and the other part will be cold. There will be voltage on this entire rod. This will provide energy.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) are working together to develop nuclear-powered engines for rockets. These engines, called RTGs, will power satellites on deep space missions
ISRO’s most powerful rocket is the GSLV Mk III. ISRO also has three active operational launch vehicles:
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (LVM3)
ISRO is developing nuclear rockets because traditional chemical rockets have limitations, especially for missions beyond the solar system. As of 2023, no nuclear thermal rocket has flown, although more than ten reactors have been built and tested
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) uses a liquid propellant, like liquefied hydrogen, to create thrust and accelerate a spacecraft. The propellant is pumped through the reactor core, where it heats up and expands into a gas. The gas is then forced out of the rocket nozzle, creating high thrust
Nuclear reactors use uranium as fuel. The uranium is processed into small ceramic pellets and stacked together into sealed metal tubes called fuel rods. The fuel rods are made predominantly of zirconium alloys, which have low neutron absorption and good corrosion resistance.
Uranium undergoes nuclear fission, a process in which the nucleus of an atom is split into smaller parts, releasing a large amount of energy. The heat created by splitting the U-235 atoms is then used to make steam which spins a turbine to drive a generator, producing electricity
As of 2023, no nuclear thermal rocket has flown. However, the Soviet Union developed a nuclear thermal rocket engine called the RD-0410 from 1965 to the 1980s. The United States also developed nuclear thermal rockets, but the program ended in 1973. NASA considered using nuclear reactors to power space probes and a lunar base, but none were ever launched
NASA and DARPA are currently planning to test nuclear engines for future Mars missions
According to NASA, nuclear propulsion is a viable option for crewed missions to Mars. Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems could significantly reduce travel times and carry greater payloads than today’s top chemical rockets
Nuclear thermal rockets could achieve high thrust, much like chemical propulsion, but are up to three times more efficient. This means that instead of the seven month-minimum it now takes to get to Mars, a nuclear-powered trip would only take 45 days.
Nuclear propulsion systems can also produce vehicle speeds that are 30 to 70% higher than chemical propulsion systems. For example, the Orion spacecraft flew by the moon at about 5,000 mph. With a nuclear-powered rocket engine, it could have flown as fast as 6,500 mph to 8,500 mph.
Nuclear power sources could also be used to provide the spacecraft with electrical power for operations and scientific instrumentation.
Nuclear thermal rockets (NTRs) have several advantages over chemical rockets, including:
- Efficiency NTRs can be more than twice as efficient as chemical rockets because their propellant is heated to a higher temperature.
- Thrust NTRs have high thrust and high specific impulse, which is twice that of chemical rockets.
- Payload NTRs can deliver more payload to low Mars orbit than chemical rockets of the same size.
- Travel time NTRs can reduce travel times, which is important for human missions to Mars.
Nuclear propulsion is also used in nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. Some advantages of nuclear propulsion include:
- No refueling: Nuclear-powered vessels don’t need to be refueled for their entire life cycle.
- Higher speeds: Nuclear propulsion can achieve higher speeds.
- No greenhouse emissions: Nuclear propulsion doesn’t produce greenhouse emissions.
However, nuclear rockets also have some disadvantages, including:
- Radiation effects: The nuclear reactor can cause radiation effects.
- Engine weight: The engine assembly is heavy.
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