The Requirements of a Nuclear Propulsion System for the Human Exploration of Mars

This thesis investigates the propulsion requirements for a crewed mission to Mars, focusing on how mission architecture, particularly the choice between opposition- and conjunction-class trajectories, influences the selection between nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP). By applying the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, the Delta-V (∆V) needed for efficient interplanetary transfers is shown to exceed the performance limits of chemical propulsion, motivating the need for nuclear alternatives. An engineering comparison of NTP and NEP systems evaluates key parameters including specific impulse, thrust, propellant mass fraction, system mass, and power-to-mass ratios. NTP provides high thrust but moderate efficiency, making it suitable for short-duration missions; NEP offers high efficiency but low thrust, aligning better with long-duration profiles. Trajectory modeling, developed in Python using poliastro and NASA JPL ephemeris data identifies viable launch windows and quantifies propulsive demands for each mission type. The analysis demonstrates that NEP may have broader viability across different mission architectures and allow for more conservative mission design. These findings emphasize the importance of aligning propulsion system development with mission architecture early in the planning process. As agencies target a 2039 launch window, strategic investment in the appropriate nuclear propulsion technologies is critical to enabling sustainable human exploration of Mars.