Robotic Interstellar Missions And Advanced Nuclear Propulsion
£5.00
B. N. Cassenti. (1996), JBIS, 49, pp.357-360
Refcode: 1996.49.357
Abstract:
Advanced nuclear propulsion can take on several forms. Radioactive thrust sheets directly use the decay of radioactive nuclei to provide propulsion. The fissioning of nuclei has been extensively studied for propulsion both analytically and experimentally. Fusion has been analytically examined as a means for providing propulsion during the last few decades. In the last decade serious attention has been given to the direct annihilation of matter. Each of these technologies will be briefly discussed with the greatest emphasis on antiproton annihilation propulsion. Propulsion systems based on nuclear processes will be shown to produce significantly more performance than is required for trips to the nearer stars.
