by Bruce Behrhorst

  Every year the Institute of Space Nuclear Power Studies at the University Of New Mexico puts on a three day conference called Space Technology & Applications International Forum (STAIF-2004) early in February, this year held at the Albuquerque Hilton Hotel. Discussions ranging from conferences dealing with activities in thermo physics in microgravity, commercial civil next generation space transportation. Symposiums on space nuclear power and propulsion, human space exploration colonialization, future concepts, awards and exhibits.

  When I arrived in Albuquerque the weather and cab drivers were pleasant but after my first day there and hearing cabbies complain about a five year drought that had descended upon the city; I had my suspicions the weather would change. Coming from South Florida I could sense moisture in the air and I would warn them. There just might be a blizzard on the horizon, I said. Most welcomed my prediction saying, "This would be some badly needed relief from the parched landscape one sees." Suddenly the next morning I looked out my hotel window to see the Sandia Peaks dusted with snow and snow storms that had canceled most businesses and school activities for that day north of the city. Fortunately my access to STAIF 2004 conference was not interrupted.
   Arriving early and walking along the hotel hallway I noticed what looked like a gigantic badminton shuttlecock thinking ... I'd seen pictures in text books of the SNAP 10A America's first working nuclear space reactor. Cool... Nice trophy, would look good in my apartment only I began thinking how stupid I'd look before airport security explaining merits and the historical significance saying, "But dude...This was America's first nuclear space reactor!" Yeah...Right, that dream vanished over my head - quick!

Further down the hallway was a miniature scale model of the current design future "JIMO" (Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter) NASA's dynamic nuclear reactor powered spacecraft. I padded my jacket pockets and realized I left my camera in my room!

Had to run back to my room to get it.

  I snapped more than enough pictures making sure I had imaged the 'indian arrowhead' fashioned cooling radiators flanked on either side of a 20 meter central truss to which converged at a power conversion unit and heat exchanger, an extra section housed shielding and the lightweight fast reactor. By far the largest square feet area of the spacecraft structure devoted to cooling with the science package, ion thrusters pods, radar arrays, boom and high/low gain antennas making up the opposite end. Two large pods of electrical ion thruster buttons set in tandem attached to science platform. The planned Nuclear Electric Xenon Ion System (Nexis) ion engine at the high-efficiency, high-power, and high-thrust operating conditions needed for use in nuclear electric propulsion applications is contemplated. It's designed to process two metric tons of propellant, 10 times the capability of the Deep Space 1 engine, and operate for 10 years, two to three times the Deep Space 1 thruster lifespan.
  Whatever 'brand' thruster is finally used you can expect xenon gas blown out the back of electric thrusters at velocities greater than 36,000 mph making this 150 foot plus long spacecraft scream through Jupiter's moons Europa,Callisto and Ganymede by the most direct trajectory possible, no 2 or 3 planetary gravity assists 'swing by' for this mission. Onboard fission power systems involve about a 5 gallon wastebasket sized reactor plenty of power in the hundreds of thousands of watts and a reactor lifespan to go past approx.10 years. Plenty of Kw's energy to operate Optic style communications for a science platform.
   Next were local High School and Middle School exhibits of scale models very ingeniously crafted with household implements like photographic film canisters, soft drink cans, straws, tobacco smoke pipe stem cleaners, Legos etc. with prepared explanations and printed outlines. This to give attendees a feel for this year's theme "In-space assembly and shuttle repair".
  

  Welcoming open remarks were given by outgoing Chair: Bonnie Dunbar of NASA Johnson Space Center and incoming Chair: Robert Sackheim of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center also Louis Caldera, President, University of New Mexico and Joseph Cecchi: Dean, School of Engineering, University of New Mexico.
Guest speaker Congressman R-Pennsylvania, Robert Walker spoke about the need to establish future aerospace industries. He was giving the audience the sense the country should not be complacent in past leadership in robotic space achievement. And the path ahead will be difficult with project Prometheus. Posing a challenge to the nuclear space community to educate a skeptical public short on knowledge about its potential scientific merits, mission materials, launch and mission safety. He later pointed to mold a focused plan to assist the commercial sector with President George W. Bush: A Renewed Spirit of Discovery budget announced earlier this year as NASA plans to offer "Centennial Challenge Prizes" the government version of the X-prize. He also made light of Foreign governments and their space agencies who have vested interest in space in lifting export control restrictions that hamper technology transfer and by extension development shared cost bearing.
Lastly he made reference to the lack of programs that reach young people that inspire them to the value of space science and engineering as a career choice later in life noting without an ongoing replacement of current talent our space effort will become more difficult.
   Mr. Alan Newhouse ( Project Prometheus DOE/NASA Project Manager) introduced Project Prometheus to the conferees. He outlined the NASA nuclear systems program in making strategic near and long term nuclear electric power and propulsion a reality. In addition Prometheus would insure development in the next generation of Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG), multi-mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator(MMRTG) power systems, the predecessors of which were used to power space science missions for over 30 years. He described Prometheus as a safe and reliable operation of a nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft on a long duration proposed Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission . Prometheus would incorporate launch safety scenarios and the different proposed reactor types: Heatpipe, Liquid metal or Gas Cooled . I also asked him about the possibility of using sea launch systems to launch Project Prometheus missions. His reply, NASA does not have policy with regard to sea launching and missions regarding nuclear systems would follow in large part safety procedures established by all previous successful nuclear materials component ground launchings.
   NASA published material touts fission power units developing power production would be orders of magnitude far greater than current radioisotope power systems to the tune of 3,4,5 hundred kWe as opposed to hundreds of watts using solar electric. All this energy coming from a 5 gallon office wastebasket sized reactor to power radar penetration of Jovian moon subsoil from inches and feet to tens of kilometers into the subsurface of moon Callisto, Ganymede and Europa in search of liquid water. Improved cameras and spectrometers with greater resolution (200 color vs. 7 colors, or less than 100m per pixel vs.100km per pixel) to map nearly the entire surface of each moon; and instruments to use lasers to measure the topography of, or illuminate, extraterrestrial trial surfaces. This is different to current missions where instruments are cycled on and off because the nuclear-powered spacecraft would have the capability to power all its science instruments simultaneously. And the ability to adjust mission objectives and transmit optically huge amounts of data.
  Lastly, Mike Sanders of JPL quickly described the future Mars science Lab (MSL) the next generation Mars Rover type. These cost sensitive solutions would be an advantage over present Rovers in missions described could in effect land any where on the Mars planet; transmit optically in high bandwidth mode, equipped with robust flight software, increased autonomous operation designed for planetary protection measures land large masses and improved overall instrumentation equipped with a powerful 500 watt electrical RTG attached aft of the lab/rover.

Irene El-Genk and Jeff King presented the secondary school space design competition. Winners were announced at close of Plenary Sessions.

  At the STAIF 2004 awards Banquet the Schreiber-Spence Achievement Awards Recipient was Dr. Robert W. Bussard of Energy/Matter conversion Corporation (EMC2) as a young physicist hired by Oak Ridge to work on the nuclear airplane of the period he also wanted to work on nuclear rockets.

As one of the early Rover Boys named for the project to build nuclear rockets, he also would later published countless other abstracts that continues to this day and historic books like, "Fundamentals of Nuclear Flight" also his seminal article on interstellar fusion ramjet . The Bussard system would use a "Ramscoop" to funnel charged particles or ions from a wide cross-sectional area of onrushing interstellar medium into the ship's fusion reactor. He pointed out that for a starship mass of 1000 tons, an interstellar proton density of 10⁹/m³, and a 100% efficient hydrogen fusion engine, the craft could accelerate almost indefinitely at 1G. Starting out with a very low initial velocity a few tens of Km's/second eventually the craft would pick up speed enough to approach light speed within a year. If there were ever a future interstellar spacecraft it would involve the Bussard Ramjet System. In his closing remark from a personal history perspective in 'Carpe Diem' manner he urged young engineers working on current nuclear space projects to seize the opportunity now before it should ever wane. At the close of the awards Banquet David B. Lavery of the solar system exploration NASA headquarters Washington D.C. Explained Mars exploration Rover 2003 missions and the joint European-U.S. Mars Express Mission and the latest downloads from Spirit and Opportunity Rover findings from Mars.

  The Industrial Exhibits by Boeing company and its space team companies: Ball Aerospace & Technologies, BWX Technologies, Rocketdyne are under contract on ground-breaking initiatives for Project Prometheus in nuclear electric, nuclear thermal propulsion and power such as fast lightweight space reactor systems, fissile fuels, imaging, optic communications. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company manifests the SP 100 space reactor at 100Kw electrical various RTG's, Hall and various other ion thrusters and Stardust spacecraft. General Atomics, NASA JSC Human Research Facility with Biomedical Hardware based on the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman Space Technology Chandra x-ray spacecraft, Stirling Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, Swales Aerospace temperature control systems, NASA Stennis Space Center Sunpower Inc. solar power systems and NASA Project Prometheus/JIMO with two composite foam to scale liquid cool and heatpipe type reactors nicely colored.   

SOLAR SYSTEM NOT A VACANT LOT

  Suddenly at the center of the exhibit room stood the "Step aside ET here come the Humans" exhibit put on by the NASA Glenn Research Center entitled: Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket Propulsion, "Credible Space Transportation for the 21st Century". Oh my God...If this system ever came to pass it would be the culmination of all the hard work that has ever been put together since the first days of the nuclear thermal rocket program of yester year. I have to admit this is ambitious - loved it.

  Briefly described it involves a human split/sprint mission approach and predeployment of surface and orbital cargo elements followed by a piloted Mars voyage 500 day, rated at 6 to 7 month 1-way transit to Mars . The added safety feature is in the event of a major mission abort 'blowout' due some malfunction forcing astronauts to return they could beeline back to Earth in relative comfort in artificial gravity. The propulsive system is to use a 'Bimodal' Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) with a high specific Impulse in the 850's to 1000 seconds and thrust-to-weight ratio at 3 -10. The main reason has to do with the near minuscule U²³⁵ fissile fuel consumed during the primary propulsion maneuvers of a typical Mars mission engines configured to burn LH₂ for both propulsive thrust and modest power generation thus the term (bimodal). The advantage as explained is because it reduces thermal stress on the reactor (in a preheated state) because it minimizes large thermal cycling, no prolonged 'cold soaking' engine and it allows for rapid reactor restart, and reduces 'decay heat' propellant loss by rejecting 'afterheat' from the power system's space radiator. During the power generation phase the bimodal engine's reactor core operates in essentially 'idle mode' with a thermal power output at 110 Kw thermal. The energy generated within the reactor fuel assemblies is removed using a variety of 'close Loops' concept (like core support tie tubes or integrated energy extraction ducts within the individual fuel assemblies) then shunted to a turboalternator compressor Brayton power converter unit employing helium/xenon working fluid a common pump-loop radiator systems rejects system waste heat and is also available to help remove low level decay heat following high thrust engine operation.
  The core stage would entail three 15,000 pound force (kilopound force) thrusters. The Bimodal BNTR's supplies 50 Kw electrical power for crew life support and active refrigeration systems to prevent 'stale' boiloff of liquid H₂. On the piloted side CTV (Crew Transport Vehicle) the bimodal NTR 'core' stage is connected to the inflatable "TransHab" crew module via an innovative, spine-like 'saddle truss' approximately 22 meters in length which is open underneath to allow easy jettisoning of the 'in-line' Liquid H₂ propellant tank following the Trans-Mars injection (TMI) burn. The CTV and the whole spacecraft then begins a tumble (rotate) at 4 revolutions per minute (RPM) to provide artificial gravity this prepares the TransHab crew with a Mars gravity field of 0.38 G_E (G gravitational constant) outbound leg . On the return leg a 6 (RPM) rotation would provide 0.8 G_E to assist in again acclimatize the crew to Earth's gravity after their 500 day stay at Mars. The team at Glenn assure us that fewer transportation system elements are needed and simpler mission operation dynamics when compared to chemical or Solar electric propulsion (SEP) options. They also have a wickedly straight forward Cargo and Hab Mars Lander descent stage which uses four 22 klbf burning LOX/LCH₄ and uses "In-Situ" production of LOX/LCH₄. For ascent propellant uses Earth-supplied LH₂ + Mars Co₂.

As far as critics that point to Coriolis forces effects as a negative human effect ...it's nothing humans can't be trained to cope with.

  The team even found a way to Earth ground launch with a Shuttle-derived heavy lift capacity vehicle something NASA needs to do quickly if they're ever to set an agenda at LEO. In addition they have a Moon version for lunar missions. They also urge NASA to invest wisely and can't afford to waste funds on developing "Short shelf life" technologies to conduct a few "See we can do it " missions. They express concern that NASA maybe misleading the public by hyping "Sci-Fi" technologies that suck badly needed funds from "Credible" technologies that will carry astronauts out beyond LEO. Hmm...I like the focus of this team!

  But I still wondered about one small piece missing on Mars descent plan. I noticed plans ditch what little is left of any aerodynamics wingless aerobraked lander heat shield cover which revels a 4 point landing pod vehicle. I understand that Mars has little atmospheric density but it does have some and maybe a folded 250 wing span with a three point sled vehicle could help make a horizontal piloted landing on a 'dozer rover' prepared landing strip help save mission mass. Since the latest Spirit rover 'dig' images seem like ideal Mars ground for a 'dozer rover' to smooth out in any case, maybe it could happen on later missions to Mars depending on future soil structure studies.

  The technical programs were a non-stop 'Round Robbin' affair of NASA Administrators, managers, individual scientists and engineers representing national and foreign public, private concerns working in different aspects of the space field in areas such as: materials, thermal control issues two phase and single phase, refractory metal system design manufacturing and fabrication, marketing, finance and insurance, space tourism, fusion space systems and applications, human/robotics exploration strategies and architectures, heatpipe technology, far term propulsion concepts and technologies, transformational systems concepts and technologies-nearer term needs, orbital space plane program, fuels processing quality safety and storage for nuclear and non-nuclear, emerging radiation health-risk mitigation technologies, Safety analysis and launch approval process, Space Elevator and StarTram ground launch strategies. Space fission system test effectiveness, Spacecraft Rad hard electronics system design. Just to name a few. For a full program link to.

  I attended a few of the presentations some of particular interest was an overview of Human/Robotic Exploration Strategies and Architectures. The presenter: John Mankins, NASA Headquarters, Washington DC. Spoke about the change in national space policy and how it relates to human and robotic technology concepts activities of the future.
  The policy essentially is in the country's national interest and sets the fundemental goal of space exploration is to advance U.S. scientific,security and economic interests and the central theme would be a robust space exploration program can accomplish this goal. This is not predicated on any past "President Kennedy Type" pronouncement of going to the Moon, or a single premise like the international space station project, or in the context of a bipolar world competing superpower struggle (old adage that Bureaucracy loves crisis) and it's not about prestige or the science. It is about setting ambitious goals in space exploration and this falls in as a national policy interest.
  To extent Human and Robotic exploration not Human vs. Robots, presence over the solar system and beyond. It does have a human component to it to extend human presence over the solar system in the long term as an objective of U.S. Policy with a finite goal though not at a 'breakneck' pace by the year 2020 in preparation of the human exploration of Mars and other destinations. And lastly to develop the innovative technologies and infrastructures both to explore and to support the decisions about destinations for human exploration for both national and international participation in exploration with the supporting rational; in order to further U.S. security and economic interests is a powerful policy.

  Clearly NASA will not abandon its commitments to the ISS, instead hoping to work with the international space community of nations in the exploration of the solar system and beyond. Ground launching will see a commitment to separate crews from cargo, vigorous moon missions will serve as test bed for systems use in further destinations also increased commercial participation was noted. Meanwhile robotic exploration will continue unabated and a commitment for Shuttle return to flight.

Personally, my view is the agency would like to make the public confident that it has a future plan and it realizes it has to prepare itself and convince the public it will make it into a reality in the long run.

TRAVEL TO SIGHTS IN ALBUQUERQUE

  Later that week I dropped by the University of New Mexico campus and visited the Science and Engineering Library collection of antique radios and amplifiers. Then went to the Institute of Meteoritics and its Meteorite Museum. This was a shocking experience to see what looks like an innocuous rock the size of a golf cart under a plexiglass dome all lit up be a, Enstatite Achondrite meteorite the second largest stone meteorite in the world - and it hit Norton County, Kansas. Isn't that were Dorothy's house was lifted to the land of Oz ? The story goes it was caused by a tornado. Could it be it was this monster meteorite that blasted the house to Oz? But seriously, these space objects are discussed among scientist about how and under what conditions our solar system was formed.
  

  I finally ended my trek past Albuquerque's Old Town by the Albuquerque Museum and the new home of the National Atomic Museum soon to become the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History the new museum will allow the museum to expand its exhibits and programming to include atomic time keeping and the atomic clock, nuclear space, secrets of the southwest, renewable energy, food irradiation, robotics, NERVA and nuclear propulsion. The new site will also have an extensive outdoor exhibit park displaying a B-29, F-105 jet, Redstone Rocket, Atomic Annie cannon, and the James K. Polk submarine sail. The new facility is scheduled to open in late 2006.

  As the old saying goes, never had a vacation I didn't like; I can say that 'cause I hadn't had one in over twenty years. Maybe if I get lucky and I get to go again then maybe I'll get to see that NERVA/ROVER nuclear space rocket museum exhibit or maybe email someone somewhere in the solar system on solid ground other than here - that would be cool !

Sources:

James A. Dewar, To The End Of The Solar System, 2004

S. Borowski, L. Dudzinski and M.McGuire, Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) Propulsion for Power-Rich, Artificial Gravity Human Exploration Missions to Mars. IAA-01-IAA.13.3.05, 2001

Photo: Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket Propulsion courtesy NASA (for more information contact: Stanley.K.Borowski@nasa.gov)

Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket Propulsion, Blueprint for 21st Century space travel, Glenn Research Center NASA, http://stpo.grc.nasa.gov (website content under construction)

Project Prometheus the Nuclear System Program.

For a copy: Space Technology and Applications International Forum-STAIF 2004, Editor, Mohamed S. El-Genk, AIP Conference Proceedings Volume 699.