The application and use of nuclear power for future spacecraft

Recent plans for growth of civil and military applications of spacecraft and satellites has intensified interest in the use of nuclear power in space. Potential developers of nuclear power reactors and/or conversion systems have provided past papers describing various particular design aspects of their respective systems. This paper provides potential power system users with spacecraft integration concepts and limited data, that may help them identify where and how nuclear power may best be used to meet spacecraft systems power requirements. The paper discusses overall power system size, mass, thermal management, spacecraft configuration, and shielding of unmanned, manvisited and continuously-manned systems. Discussion relative to safety imposed limitations and orbital maintenance limitations are included