Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (CNTR)

under development

The Ohio State University is developing a centrifugal nuclear thermal rocket (CNTR) propulsion system that uses liquid uranium to directly heat rocket propellant, doubling the efficiency of traditional nuclear engines. This technology aims to significantly reduce travel time for Mars missions to about 6 months one-way and 420 days round-trip, while also enabling faster missions to outer planets and Kuiper Belt objects. The project faces engineering challenges such as stable operation, fuel management, and minimizing uranium loss, with an optimistic resolution timeline of five years. The CNTR system is supported by a NASA grant and offers flexibility in propellant choice, potentially enabling in-space resource utilization.