NASA?s Project Prometheus Gets New Agenda, Changes

[charrison]

Linkage

Project Prometheus, NASA?s multibillion-dollar nuclear power and propulsion initiative, has a new home inside the U.S. space agency.

Begun as the Nuclear Systems Initiative in 2002, the program was given a new name in 2003, a bigger budget and its first mission: the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO).

Now, with an ambitious new space exploration agenda handed down by the White House, NASA is making more changes to Project Prometheus.

JIMO?s launch date is slipping and responsibility for developing the nuclear systems NASA says it needs to kick solar system exploration into high gear is being given to the newly established Exploration Systems Enterprise. The new enterprise will be headed by retired U.S. Navy Adm. Craig Steidle, a veteran of the Pentagon?s Joint Strike Fighter program.

The move takes the bulk of Project Prometheus and its funding -- expected to top $438 million in 2005 ? away from NASA?s Space Science Enterprise

 

[beer]

$438 million is chump change when you compare it to how much companies like Lockheed spend on the JSF program. Amazing that NASA can get something like that actually going.

 

[MovingTarget]

Personally I can't wait to see this in action. I've been hearing about project prometheus for quite a while. The potential for exploring the solar system with nuclear propulsion is much much greater than our current power/propulsion methods. It can be done faster (speedwise, as we don't have to use the "slingshot" approach that saves propellant. that is if we use nuclear propulsion as opposed to chemical propulsion) and more accurately (in terms of better instruments, which use more power). Although it is being pushed back, hopefully this reevaluation will do more to help the project get off the ground. Its about time Nasa got going again...

 

[RabidMongoose]

Good news!

 

[labrat25]

hopefully it doesn't get forgotten but it'll be great once it gets off the ground

 

[zephyrprime]

Yeah, I support something like this a lot more than a currently useless plan to land people on mars. We need much better propulsions tech like this before I think going to mars offers enough cost/benefit.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
Yeah, I support something like this a lot more than a currently useless plan to land people on mars. We need much better propulsions tech like this before I think going to mars offers enough cost/benefit.

Maybe that is why this project is getting funding?...

 

[freegeeks]

what are the safety concerns with this type of propulsion

if something like this blows up on the launchpad what are the effects (dirty bomb effect ???)

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: freegeeks
what are the safety concerns with this type of propulsion

if something like this blows up on the launchpad what are the effects (dirty bomb effect ???)

First result on Google...
http://www.nuclearspace.com