![]() ![]() Following insertion into a nuclear-safe orbit - meaning at altitudes higher than low earth orbit - the reactor would automatically respond to thermal load changes and maintain safe operating temperatures. The reactor onboard the spacecraft would then start after the system is on orbit. The reality is that nuclear propulsion systems would be launched cold, meaning turned off with no radioactive hazards. The notion of nukes in space understandably gives people pause. The field has now advanced to the point where nuclear propulsion will provide the rapid maneuver and presence needed for both defensive and offensive space applications - the very attributes that speak to today’s threat-driven mission requirements.Īs is often the case when discussing anything nuclear, people rightfully worry about potential safety concerns. experts have been working on maturing these capabilities for the past 50 years. The theory then being the Chinese would run out of ASAT missiles without being able to destroy all the many satellites America had in orbit. When China started testing and deploying a limited number of anti-satellite, or ASAT, missiles, some space leaders sought to deny the benefit of an ASAT attack by planning to deploy numerous, disaggregated small satellites to complicate Chinese targeting and increase their numbers of targets. A safe, reliable and effective way to achieve these attributes is through the use of nuclear thermal propulsion for our space vehicles. While defenses against Chinese ground-based anti-satellite missiles or on-orbit weapons may include such methods as proliferation of numerous small-satellite constellations or hardening of satellites themselves, speed and maneuverability will remain key war-fighting attributes. ![]() space leaders to rethink their approach to this growing threat. China’s aggressive military space strategy, which views space warfare as “rapid and destructive,” must prompt U.S.
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