This project is a NASA / JPL attempt to develop a more heavily instrumented craft travelling farther from the Sun. The concept would need to power its ion thrusters with a nuclear fission reactor and a system for converting the reactor’s heat to electricity. This could give the craft more than 100 times more power than a non-fission system of comparable weight.
- Below is a conceptual design for the Prometheus 1 spacecraft would place a large array of heat-shedding radiator panels between the spacecraft’s power source and ion-propulsion thrusters.
In order to explore the distant reaches of the solar system, new technologies must be developed. These technologies would allow spacecraft to travel further and conserve more energy until they reach their destination.
Developing a safe nuclear power capability would enable NASA to meet its scientific goals for the next several decades and more thoroughly explore the outer edges of the solar system. The Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Mission would demonstrate that a nuclear fission reactor can be developed for use in deep space, flown safely, and operated reliably on long-duration missions in the deep space environment to return valuable science. A nuclear fission reactor could produce unprecedented amounts of electrical energy to significantly improve scientific measurements, mission design options, and telecommunications capabilities. The expanded scientific capabilities would allow radar to penetrate deep into icy surfaces and allow extensive surface mapping.
