Nuclear/Ammonia+Alcohol
Propellant
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Nuclear/Ammonia+Alcohol propellant. Nuclear thermal engines use the heat of a nuclear reactor to heat a propellant. Although early Russian designs used ammonia or an ammonia/alcohol mixture as propellant, the ideal working fluid for space applications is the liquid form of the lightest element, hydrogen. Although successfully ground-tested in both Russia, they have never been flown due primarily to environmental and safety concerns.
Subtopics
- OKB-670 Russian intercontinental range ballistic missile. Variant using a Bondaryuk nuclear engine heating mixed alcohol and ammonia as a propellant.
Related
- Launch Vehicles
- OKB-670