Engineers at the Kurchatov Institute have developed a project for a reusable nuclear rocket engine for long-range space missions. The design belongs to the class of nuclear propulsion systems and is oriented towards repeated activations in space.
The system is based on a nuclear reactor with a heat exchanger and a supersonic nozzle. A separate liquid metal circuit is used to remove residual heat, which also participates in the power supply of the control systems.
The main feature of the project is a new reactor control scheme. The control rods are placed on a truss structure and distributed over several planes, which increases the stability of the active zone's operation.
A detachable connection between the reactor block and the heat exchanger with pyrotechnic bolts has also been proposed. In an emergency, this allows the structural elements to be separated and reduces the risk of radioactive contamination during an abnormal deorbit.
The topic of space exploration is one of the key ones for Russia. In 2025, scientists at the Moscow Aviation Institute developed a unique device that simulates the operation of a spacecraft's electric rocket engine on Earth.
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov stated that after the Moon, Venus will be the first planet that the country will begin to explore.
