Abstract
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) as the preferred propulsion method for a crewed Mars mission in the late 2030s. Other programs, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Space Force, are interested in NTP for cislunar or low orbital maneuvering. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, developed the IN-pile Steady state Extreme Temperature (INSET) testbed to help NASA with identifying materials and sensors for the rocket. INSET is a modular test stand for exposing candidate materials and instrumentation to prototypic temperatures, neutron fluences, and atmospheric conditions seen in an NTP system. INSET was recently updated with a new heating element and internal structure to make the platform more repeatable and durable. An irradiation with the updated INSET platform is planned for early 2023. This summary discusses the development of INSET.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Proceedings of Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2023 |
| Publisher | American Nuclear Society |
| Pages | 50-54 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780894487903 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2023 |
| Event | 2023 Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2023 - Idaho Falls, United States Duration: May 7 2023 → May 11 2023 |
Publication series
| Name | Proceedings of Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2023 |
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Conference
| Conference | 2023 Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2023 |
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| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Idaho Falls |
| Period | 05/7/23 → 05/11/23 |
Funding
The authors would like to acknowledge the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who funds this work through the Department of Energy. We would like to acknowledge the support of The Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory and the assistance of the reactor staff members. Emily Hutchins would like to acknowledge Dr. Richard Howard of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for his experience and insight with this experiment. Emily Hutchins would like to acknowledge Dr. Tyler Steiner of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for his expertise and knowledge of INSET 1.0.