Four Times the Ion Drive Thrust With 20+KW Nuclear Reactor for 2028 NASA Mars Mission
NASA's 2028 Mars mission, SR-1 Freedom, will utilize a 20 kW nuclear reactor to power a xenon ion drive, expected to produce four times the thrust of previous ion engines. The nuclear reactor will enable the spacecraft to operate at full power indefinitely in deep space.
NASA is planning a 2028 Mars demonstration mission, SR-1 Freedom, which will be powered by a 20 kW nuclear reactor. The reactor will fuel a xenon ion drive, significantly increasing the spacecraft's thrust and capability. The SR-1 Freedom repurposes the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) from the cancelled Lunar Gateway, originally designed for solar power. The nuclear reactor will provide a steady 20 kW of power, roughly three times that of NASA's NEXT ion engine. With this power, the spacecraft is expected to produce 0.8-1.2 N of thrust, four times that of the NEXT engine. The nuclear reactor enables the spacecraft to operate at full power anywhere in the solar system, making deep-space missions faster and more capable.
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