MIT master’s student Taylot Hampson is advancing research into nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), thanks in part to a NASA-sponsored initiative.
Nuclear propulsion could dramatically shorten travel times to Mars, making the journey to the Red Planet safer and more feasible for future astronauts.
The power and potential of nuclear thermal propulsion
Hampson, a master’s student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE), earned his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. While there, he completed internships at Blue Origin and Stoke Space and participated in the university’s rocket team. He chose MIT for its unique blend of nuclear and aerospace expertise, particularly in nuclear fuel testing. Hampson grew up on Florida’s Space Coast, where he watched Space Shuttle launches and cultivated his early passion for space exploration.
Hampson’s NASA-sponsored work focuses on modeling the full system of an advanced NTP rocket engine. He is performing this investigation under the guidance of Associate Professor Koroush Shirvan, who collaborates with NASA on NTP and fuel testing.
NTP heats a propellant, such as hydrogen, to extremely high temperatures using nuclear energy. The propellant is then expelled through a nozzle to generate thrust. Unlike chemical rockets, which rely on combustion, NTP offers twice or more the efficiency at the same thrust level.
This higher specific impulse could dramatically reduce transit times to Mars, minimizing astronauts’ exposure to microgravity and cosmic radiation, both of which pose health risks over long periods.
Modeling an entire nuclear rocket engine
For his work, Hampson is modeling the entire engine, including tanks, pumps, and other components. This will allow him to analyze how variables such as temperature and pressure interact across the system.
Hamspon is employing a simplified one-dimensional model to accelerate simulations while coupling thermodynamic and neutronic effects. This holistic view is crucial because different configurations of parts and fuel can significantly impact performance. Challenges include complex engine startup, where rapid temperature spikes pose a risk of material failure, and extended shutdowns due to residual decay heat.
In an MIT News report, Hampson highlighted the financial difficulty of developing NTP. “Sure, you can get double the efficiency or more from a nuclear propulsion engine,” he said, “but there hasn’t been a mission case that has needed it enough to justify the higher cost.”
However, NASA is aiming to send crewed missions to Mars as soon as the 2030s. This might finally give the technology the backing it requires. Using existing chemical rocket technologies, NASA estimates it would take seven to eight months for a spacecraft to reach Mars. Several nuclear thermal propulsion initiatives have claimed they could roughly cut this travel time in half.
Still, a lot of work is needed before the nuclear rockets of the future fly to space. As Hampson said, “relatively speaking, it’s a field in need of much more advancement; there are many more unsolved problems.”