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SP-100 Space Reactor Development
TSA-4 personnel were involved
with project management of the SP-100 space nuclear reactor design
and development effort. Although the project was discontinued
in the mid-1990s, the SP-100 design remains to date one of the
most advanced concepts for space nuclear reactors. Consequently,
this web site has been prepared as a partial archive of the SP-100
design and development effort.
The idea of extraterrestrial
use of nuclear reactors has been around since the beginning of
the former Soviet Union and United States space programs following
World War II. Their application ranged from thermal propulsion
to electric power generation and electric ion propulsion. While
the United States has actually launched only one nuclear reactor
to date, their use by the former Soviet Union was somewhat greater.
The United State's recent program referred to as SP-100 (Space
Power 100 kWe) originated in the early 1980s as a space based
power supply for Star Wars type weapons. As the Star Wars effort
diminished, SP-100 evolved into a highly flexible design capable
of space based, lunar based and Mars based electric power applications.
The primary requirements for
SP-100 were (1) low mass, (2) long-life and (3) high reliability.
Low mass was critical since launch cost is directly proportional
to payload weight. Long life and high reliability were important
since maintenance would be near impossible following initial
startup. Additionally, SP-100 was designed for scaleable power
output to insure a range of applicability; however, a generic
design was prepared for 100 kWe.
Reports:
 Pictorial
tour of space reactor concepts, SP-100 applications and the SP-100
design, Parker and
Demuth, LA-UR-00-6011 (2000).
Download
1.6 Mb pdf
Pictorial
tour of past SP-100 component testing, LA-UR-01-110.
Download
1.2 Mb pdf
SP-100
Generic Design Document, GE
Astro Space (contact Scott DeMuth)
SP-100
Technical Summary Report, JPL
D-11818 (contact Scott DeMuth)
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