Brussels-based engineering firm Tractebel has completed a European Space Agency-commissioned study aimed at creating a roadmap towards the development of nuclear propulsion systems for space exploration.
ESA began work on the pReliminary eurOpean reCKon on nuclEar elecTric pROpuLsion for space appLications (RocketRoll) initiative in 2022 under the agency’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme. The study was conducted by a Tractebel-led consortium and included contributions from OHB Czechspace, ArianeGroup, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, Airbus, the University of Prague, and the University of Stuttgart.
While there are several potential options for nuclear propulsion in space applications, ESA’s RocketRoll initiative focused on electric thrusters powered by a nuclear power source, known as Nuclear Electric Propulsion. This solution combines the efficiency of electric propulsion with the ability to generate consistent power, overcoming the limitations of solar electric systems in deep-space environments.
The main objectives of the RocketRoll study were to conduct initial feasibility assessments, identify key technologies, and highlight any potential economic and industrial barriers.
In late October, Tractebel announced that it had completed the study outlining a roadmap towards the launch of a European demonstration of nuclear propulsion by 2035.
“I am proud to lead such an important initiative in nuclear electric propulsion, which could enable exploration and in-space logistics in Earth Orbit and beyond on a scale that neither chemical nor electric propulsion could ever achieve,” said Brieuc Spindler, Space Product Owner, Tractebel.
According to ESA, the long-term goal of the RocketRoll initiative is to more efficiently explore beyond Mars, where solar power is limited, by developing a nuclear-powered tug for long-term missions.
