Status Report Radioisotopic Propulsion Systems

Preliminary analysis of radioisotopic propulsion systems indicates considerable potential for application to scientific probes provided current engineering postulations can be realized. Typical applications, as indicated by analysis to date, would be high energy space missions such as solar probes to distances of approximately 0.05 A. U. and explorer probes in deep space out to the vicinity of Saturn. In order for the full calculated potential of these systems to be realized, the engineering feasibility of problems such as lightweight tankage, superinsulation for liquid hydrogen storage for more than thirty days in space, and tank-pressure propellant feed systems will have to be demonstrated.