NUCLEAR SPACE POWER SYSTEM ANALYSES

An analysis was conducted to determine the best nuclear-turboelectric space powerplant to meet the requirements of an unmanned round-trip mission to Mars. The specific masses of both the Brayton cycle and liquid metal Rankine cycle were in-vestigated for power levels from 500 kwe to 1500 kwe. Pre-liminary vehicle concepts were established and the specific masses of these spacecraft were then used to indicate the rela-tive performance of the propulsion systems. The results of the analysis indicate that the 1500 kwe Brayton cycle space power-plant and its associated spacecraft can perform the selected mission better than the other configurations considered. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to express their gratitude for the continued support and encouragement associated with the Gug-genheim Laboratories for the Aerospace Propulsion Sciences