NASA boosts nuclear propulsion plans

[David Morris]

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993285

NASA has requested a "very significant" increase in funding for the development
of nuclear propulsion systems for spacecraft, according to Sean O'Keefe, the
administration's chief.

Existing chemical rocket technologies have restricted missions to the same
speed for 40 years, he said. "With the new technology, where we go next will
only be limited by our imagination."

O'Keefe revealed the significant new emphasis in an interview with Los Angeles
Times: "We're talking about doing something on a very aggressive schedule to
not only develop the capabilities for nuclear propulsion and power generation,
but to have a mission using the new technology within this decade."

The request has been approved by US President George Bush and will now pass to
Congress for approval. NASA's Nuclear Systems Initiative will also be renamed
Project Prometheus.



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