Atlas of historical and proposed nuclear devices and power systems in the Earth-Moon System and wider Solar System

Abstract

The 2010s witnessed a renewal in international interest of space operations extending outside geosynchronous orbit to encompass the cislunar environment and beyond with invigorated U.S., Chinese, and Russian lunar mission initiatives; planned commercial lunar projects; and coalescing international efforts to reach Mars and push deeper into the Solar System. With the space beyond the near-Earth orbital regimes likely to become competitive and congested in the coming decades, reliable and high-yield means of generating power and propulsion will be needed to enhance mission assurance and operational responsiveness. Nuclear systems represent a promising technology with a rich heritage and provenance of space-based applications to satisfy emerging requirements for electrical power and propulsive impulse for long-term human development of the Earth-Moon system and its planetary neighbors. In this work, an atlas for defining the varying historical or proposed uses of nuclear power in space operations and exploration is presented according to spatial zone within the Earth-Moon and wider Solar System. Depending on the spatial zone, nuclear power will be discussed with respect to applications such as electrical power generation, propulsion, resource extraction, and weapon testing and employment for the space control and planetary defense missions.