Nuclear waste disposal in space: Implications of advanced space transportation

Previous studies have shown that the disposal of nuclear waste in space is promising as a practical and economically plausible option, based on use of the first generation space shuttle. The promise brightens if we consider use of more effective second generation systems such as fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit transports. These vehicles, with simpler more reliable flight characteristics and with operational economics at least twenty times more favorable than the first shuttle, can become available in the early 1990s when the nuclear waste problem will have grown to truly serious proportions. This paper surveys both vertical and horizontal-takeoff vehicles as they could be used for the Earth-to-orbit phase of nuclear waste disposal mission. The international nature of the nuclear waste issue is emphasized, and the suggestion is made that an international equatorial launch site be established. This launch center, apart from its inherent safety features, would serve as a focus for an international solution of the truly worldwide problem of nuclear waste disposal.     

Societal imperatives and the need for space nuclear power and propulsion systems

The development and exploitation of nuclear power and propulsion represent certain didactic imperatives for human civilization. Among these are economic, epistemological, moral and commercial propositions. Developing space nuclear power and propulsion represents one future; the choice of not to pursue the course barring some breakthrough in physics represents a dramatically different future. The author argues that the time is now fortuitous for deployment and operation of nuclear propulsion and power, primarily nuclear electric propulsion, at significant levels, employing figures of merit that transcend simple cost models used to justify nuclear power sources in the past. The proposition is examined, in the light of US and UN restrictions, to ascertain how best to proceed. The author argues that viewpoints of certain vocal albeit uninformed public interest groups are typically self-serving and generally categorically incorrect; it can be asserted that these same groups do not truly represent the public interest at all. It is, therefore, necessary to present an even-handed assessment of both sides of the argument to determine the virtues and liabilities of embarking on such a developmental path. Given the imperatives mentioned, the author argues that nuclear power and propulsion for space systems is a societal necessity.     

The Israeli satellite launch: Capabilities, intentions and implications

The launch of the Israeli satellite Ofeq-1 during September 1988 has significant regional and global implications. These include the proliferation of both surveillance satellites and ballistic missiles, the latter having the potential to deliver conventional, chemical and nuclear warheads to areas situated many hundreds of miles away. This paper addresses both the origins of the Israeli booster technology and the many implications of the satellite launch. It then speculates on their political and arms control consequences. It concludes that in light of the parallelism that has evolved between nuclear and chemical weapons and ballistic missiles, there is an increasing need to develop global and, if appropriate, regional and bilateral strategies to limit missile proliferation and bring the issue to the forefront of international political debate.     

100 kWe级空间快堆核电源系统仿真平台开发与应用

空间核反应堆电源作为一种具有竞争力的空间电源方案,正逐渐受到关注及应用。本文针对一个100 kWe级锂冷快堆耦合布雷顿循环的空间堆核动力系统方案,修改了RELAP5程序中的物性程序、换热模型,程序中的中子动力学模块使用蒙特卡洛方法计算快堆物理参数与堆芯控制调节参数,由此集成并建立一个空间快堆核动力系统综合仿真平台,应用该平台对100 kWe级空间堆核动力系统进行了稳态模拟与事故分析。结果表明:在瞬态发生后系统各参数变化符合预期,验证了各部件及控制系统的功能性及有效性;同时,还初步进行了仿真平台用于100 kWe级空间反应堆核动力系统设备的设计优化的实践,为空间快堆设计与安全分析提供了技术储备。     

基于氢化镁的核电/核热双模共质空间核动力技术

针对未来空间任务对能源和动力日益提高的需求,提出了基于氢化镁的核电核热双模共质空间核动力技术。该技术以一种储氢密度高、热稳定性较好,能够以常温常压储存的氢化镁作为工质,通过核能加热后氢化镁分解成为核热推进可用的高压氢气和电推进可用的单质镁,并结合高效动态热电转换系统,形成大功率核电源、大功率超高比冲核电推进、高比冲氢气核热推进以及大推力镁核热推进多种工作模式。基于氢化镁的多模共质空间核动力技术解决了低温推进剂、气态工质在空间应用时的存储安全性和存储密度低的问题,其具备的多种工作模式能够针对不同任务需求提供相应的能源或者动力输出,提高核动力飞行器任务能力。     

Dominance in space — a new means of exercising global power?

Sustained criticism of the strategy of nuclear deterrence and technological developments in the military uses of space suggest that nuclear weapons may soon be replaced by control of outer space as the USA and USSR's primary instrument of global power. This article traces the change in perceptions of nuclear weapons policy and assesses the potential of outer space as a means of control, and the plans of the two superpowers for its exploitation, especially in the military sphere. The consequences for Western Europe of a shift from nuclear to space-based weapons as the primary guarantor of national security are also discussed.     

一种提升近地小行星防御中拦截效率的方法

利用核爆直接炸毁小行星或改变小行星的轨道以避免其与地球相撞,是近地小行星防御最主要的手段之一。文章基于美国爱荷华州立大学的超高速小行星拦截器(HAIV)概念,提出一种将原撞击引导器改为长杆撞击器的方案,采用自主研发的欧拉型冲击动力学仿真软件NTS模拟长杆撞击器对小行星连续开坑的过程,并在仿真中加入能量源以模拟核爆装置在不同深度爆炸对小行星产生的偏转与破坏效应。研究结果表明,采用长杆撞击器并合理控制撞击速度,能够引导核爆装置进入更深的地下爆炸,从而更加高效地耦合核爆能量,提升偏转小行星或直接摧毁小行星的能力。     

Comparison of advanced propulsion systems in cislunar space

Chemical engines fueled by LOX/aluminium powder, oxygen-fueled ion engines, solid core nuclear reactor engines and nuclear light bulb engines are analysed for transportation purposes in cislunar space. The markets envisaged are the nuclear waste disposal on the lunar surface and/or support of SPS construction in GEO. It is shown that the most fuel efficient permanent space transportation system is not necessarily the most economical choice due to high hardware cost.     

兆瓦级探月火箭空间核电源系统设计与性能研究

针对目前空间核电源在深空探测领域功率不足的问题，结合热离子热电转换空间核电源和碱金属热电转换空间核电源的发电方式，提出一种新型空间核电源。计算堆芯有效增殖因子、功率峰值因子、冷却剂空泡系数和停堆深度等安全性参数，并通过分析接收极功函数和碱金属热电转换系统电流密度等性能参数。之后，对比耦合发电系统与原热离子热电转换空间核电源和碱金属热电转换空间核电源的效率，发现新型耦合发电系统发电效率分别较另两种发电系统提高约6％和约10％。最后建立动态模型进行分析，确保核电源可以稳定运行，为大功率核电源设计提供理论依据。     

空间核动力平台电力管理系统的设计

空间核动力平台是一种全新的电源推进一体化航天器,其电力系统具有三相交流输出、工况多且复杂、母线电压体制多等特点。为了解决空间核动力平台负载供电诸多难题,通过对系统功能、负载类型、母线体制、组成配置、工作模式、控制机制等方面论证分析,提出了一种新型空间核动力平台电力管理系统架构。其中,变配电系统从硬件实现角度解决了基于布雷顿热电转换系统输出为负载稳态供电问题,自主控制系统从软件控制角度解决了主能源、辅助能源等多能源间流动控制以及负载暂态匹配问题,这为未来空间核动力平台电力管理系统研究工作奠定了基础。     

空间核反应堆电源研究进展

随着航空航天领域对能源需求的不断扩大,核能的空间应用迎来了新的发展高潮。本文针对空间核反应堆技术的发展现状进行综述,重点关注了空间核反应堆与静态能量转换、动态能量转换技术结合供电的研究进展,总结分析了空间核反应堆电源技术的发展特点,并指出未来发展中需要重点关注的内容,为未来空间核反应堆电源的发展提供指导。     

Advanced charged particle beam ignited nuclear pulse propulsion

It is shown that the mass of the driver for nuclear microexplosion—Orion type—pulse propulsion can be substantially reduced with a special fusion–fast fission configuration, which permits to replace an inefficient laser beam driver with a much more efficient and less massive relativistic electron beam (or light ion beam) driver. The driver mass can be further reduced, and the propulsion efficiency increased, by surrounding the nuclear microexplosion assembly with a shell of conventional hydrogen-rich explosive, helping to ignite the nuclear reaction and dissipating the otherwise lost kinetic neutron energy in the shell which becomes part of the propellant.     

Space nuclear power: technology, policy, and risk considerations in human missions to Mars

There is a large discrepancy between potential needs for nuclear propulsion and power systems for the human exploration of Mars and the current status of R&D funding, public opinion, and governmental support for these technologies. Mission planners and spacecraft designers, energized by the recent claims of possible discovery of life on Mars and responding to increased public interest in the human exploration of Mars, frequently propose nuclear reactors and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for interplanetary spacecraft propulsion and for power supply on the surface of Mars. These plans and designs typically assume that reactors will be available "on-the-shelf," and do not take the extensive R&D costs required to develop such reactors into consideration. However, it is likely that current U.S. policies, if unchanged, will prohibit the launch of nuclear reactors and large RTGs in response to a perceived risk by the public.     

核能推进航天器新方法

随着人类深空探测活动的开展,核能的空间应用作为一种发展前景很好的航天能源方式而受到关注。核裂变能的利用在地面已获得普及,在航天领域中的应用也取得一些进展,但核聚变能因其可控性的制约尚未解决,使得其空间应用存在很大的技术障碍。文章提出一种新的核聚变能的空间利用方法,利用核裂变点火、核聚变放能来实现核推进。核聚变材料在高温、高密度条件下发生核聚变反应,并使其能量储存在热载体中。通过选择合适的调制介质来调制辐射场和压力场,设置边界条件,最终达到直接推进航天器的目的。此外文章对核聚变能空间应用中的辐射防护技术也进行了讨论。     

模块化核动力航天器设计及其关键技术

为提高核动力航天器关键技术的可继承性与可扩展性,缩短核动力航天器研发周期,降低研发成本,本文通过总结国外核动力航天器发展现状,梳理核动力航天器研制特点,结合模块化航天器概念及设计原则,首次提出模块化核动力航天器概念。将核动力航天器分为核电源模块、平台中心模块、载荷模块3大独立模块,并针对体系架构设计提出3层建设方案,针对模块化核动力航天器梳理关键技术难点,为后续项目研究提供应用参考。     

MAKING A TUNNEL THROUGH THE MOON

The pressure in the center of the moon is estimated to be 50,000 atm at a temperature of a few 10³ K. Under these conditions a tunnel to the center of the moon seems possible, if dug by a sequence of nuclear explosions, crushing the rocks through which the tunnel shall pass. The crushed rocks reduce the pressure gradient in the tunnel wall and permit the removal of heat by liquid metals. The number of required nuclear explosions, estimated to be several thousand, can be substantially reduced by thermonuclear shape charges.     

导弹防御系统的弹道导弹突防

根据美国国家导弹防御系统(NMD)的防御特点，提出了弹道导弹突防的以核攻核、近距离攻击和攻击天基信息链，以及饱和式多波次攻击、电磁脉冲弹头、机动发射平台、多弹头和单弹头突防等不同的战略战术，并分析了采用的不同弹头、释放有源或无源干扰物、隐身和反探测、助推段机动，以及旋转导弹和弹头等技术。     

Propulsion of space ships by nuclear explosion

Recent progress in the research on deuterium-tritium (D-T) inertially confined microexplosions encourages one to reconsider the nuclear propulsion of spaceships based on the concept originally proposed in the Orion project. We discuss first the acceleration of medium-sized spaceships by D-T explosions whose output is in the range of 0.1–10 t of TNT. The launching of such a ship into an Earth orbit or beyond by a large nuclear explosion in an underground cavity is sketched out in the second section of the paper, and finally we consider a hypothetical Mars mission based on these concepts. In the conclusion it is argued that propulsion based on the Orion concept only is not the best method for interplanetary travel owing to the very large number of nuclear explosion required. A combination of a super gun and subsequent rocket propulsion using advanced chemical fuels appears to be the best solution for space flights of the near future.From Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2005, pp. 67–75.Original English Text Copyright © 2005 by Linhart, Kravárik.     

核热推进技术综述

分析了核热推进相对于现有传统推进技术的优势,介绍了可能的技术实现途径,重点是目前已经实现的固相核热推进技术,并归纳了有关文献对于固相核热推进技术的空间应用分析结果;介绍了核热推进技术的发展历程,并对当前发展态势进行了分析;最后针对我国发展核热推进技术提出几点考虑。     

Nuclear space—an indispensable option?

There is renewed interest in using nuclear power in a variety of ways in space, as well as in disposing of terrestrial nuclear waste aloft. While the benefits of such use to space exploration might be high, the potential costs to Earth and its inhabitants are currently too dear. Accidents have already occurred which, despite official denials, have spread radiation worldwide. Such denials are characteristic of the closed and secretive nature of the nuclear ‘debate’. This viewpoint calls for the involvement of all those concerned with space nuclear power—lay, professional, government and NGO—in decisions on whether to proceed with it and suggests that maybe we should wait for safer scientific discoveries before we attempt further planetary exploration.