Nuclear Spacecraft Propulsion (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781387104987)

While solar power is much more commonly used, nuclear power offers great advantages in many areas. Solar cells, although efficient, can only supply energy to spacecraft in orbits where the solar flux is sufficiently high, such as low Earth orbit and interplanetary destinations close enough to the Sun. Unlike solar cells, nuclear power systems function independently of sunlight, which is necessary for deep space exploration. Nuclear reactors are especially beneficial in space because of their lower weight-to-capacity ratio than solar cells. Therefore, nuclear power systems take up much less space than solar power systems.

Author: Winford Rothrock
ISBN-10: 1387104985
ISBN-13: 9781387104987
Publisher: Lulu.com
Language: English
Published: 07/16/2017
Pages: 154
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.52lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.36d