System engineering research and application foreground of space nuclear reactor power generators

Abstract

Space nuclear reactor power is the application of self-sustaining nuclear fission energy in space, which can fundamentally solve the bottleneck problem of high power demand of spacecraft in the future. It is also the premise of large-scale development and utilization of space resource. New technology of nuclear reactor power and its development roadmaps are reviewed in this paper. Based on the future development trend, mission requirment, and main technical route, we suggest that the space nuclear reactor power could be developed in stages according to grades of 10, 100, 1000 kWe. Issues of key technologies and nuclear safety are also analyzed. The content of this work may provide a reference for the future development of space nuclear reactor power.