Sequence showing the preparation of the NERVA nuclear thermal rocket engine for testing. NERVA was the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application program. Nuclear thermal rockets use a small nuclear reactor to heat liquid hydrogen, which provides thrust as it turns to a hot gas. This provides much more impulse than a chemical engine (for instance the liquid hydrogen/oxygen engines used in most rockets). NERVA engines were slated to be used in a human mission to Mars, but political enthusiasm waned and the entire project was cancelled in 1972. No nuclear thermal rocket has ever flown. The project was built and tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / NASA |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Länge: | 25 Sekunden |
Seitenverhältnis: | 4:3 |
Restrictions: | - |