Spacecraft with a nuclear engine will create in Russian – Moskovsky Komsomolets

It may be necessary for interplanetary manned expeditions

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In the next decade, Russia plans build a spacecraft with a nuclear power plant. It provides a number of developmental and research work embodied in the draft Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 years.

Photo: morguefile.com

In the last century in the Soviet Union and the United States were actively working on the creation of such engines, but for various reasons by the end of the century the relevant projects have been closed. One of the prerequisites for this, along with some failed experiments was an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, to a large extent affect the public opinion in the use of nuclear energy. And in 1988, the Federation of American Scientists and the Committee of Soviet Scientists for peace against nuclear threat proposal to ban the use of nuclear power in space, and although technically it is such agreements have been concluded, in fact, after this test really is not carried out.

The project the creation of a nuclear engine for spacecraft was approved in 2010 by the Commission under the President of Russia’s modernization and technological development of the economy. It is expected that this engine will make a step towards the implementation of large-scale interplanetary missions. On the International Space Station today, uses solar panels measure 17 by 70 meters, and its power available is 110 kilowatts, which would be totally inadequate day interplanetary manned missions, write “Izvestia».

However, as stressed Corresponding Member Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after KE Tsiolkovsky Andrew, son of John, before you start the construction of a nuclear engine, it is necessary to determine the objectives of its use and call destinations and dates of flights, for which such an engine might be useful. Otherwise, as experts fear, the financing of the works can not justify itself.