A Technical Description of Some Scorpion Derivatives

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Mark Hempsell (2022), JBIS, 75, pp. 249-256
Refcode: 2022.75. 249

DOI: n/a

Abstract:

The Scorpion is a general purpose nuclear powered transport system that can operate from low Earth orbit out to Venus and Mars orbits and can prepare for missions by directly interfacing with the launch system without any other in orbit support. In an extension to the initial outline of the basic spacecraft, the study explored three specialist derivatives of the Scorpion that can transport cargo (Taurus), propellant (Aquarius), and people (Zibanna). It was found that significant improvements in performance could be achieved with these specialist systems without advancing technology. However, this approach to establishing a compete infrastructure requires much higher acquisition investments, both in new system level developments and the establishing of supporting spaceports. Such investments can only be justified if there is a mature and extensive level of activity that has evolved from the initial programmes in high Earth orbits and lunar environment. But in the expectation of such expansion and evolution it makes sense for the very high value investments, like the nuclear rocket engines, to include the likely requirements for the next generation specialist systems to be included in their initial development for the first generation system.

Keywords: Space Infrastructure, Orbit transfer systems, Scorpion