Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Program.

Abstract

The SNTP Program was an advanced technology development effort aimed at providing the Nation a new, dramatically higher performing rocket engine that would more than double the performance of the best conventional chemical rocket engines. The program consisted of three phases. Phase I ran from November 1987 through September 1989. The objective of this phase was to verify the feasibility of the Particle Bed Reactor (PBR) as the propulsion energy source for the upper stage of a ground-based Boost Phase Intercept (BPI) vehicle. The BPl mission was of interest to the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) who sponsored the program. Phase II started under SDIO control and was transferred to the Air Force (AF) in October 1991. The BPI mission was de-emphasized, and engine requirements were revised to satisfy more general AF space missions. The goal of Phase II was to perform a ground demonstration of a prototypical PBR engine. (MM)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1995
Accession Number
ADA305996

Entities

People

  • R. A. Haslett

Organizations

  • Grumman

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Construction
  • Engineers
  • Environmental Protection
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Geosynchronous Orbits
  • Heat Transfer
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Nuclear Reactors
  • Organizational Structure
  • Rocket Engines
  • Spacecraft
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Thermal Propulsion Systems

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster