TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
March 31, 2026
Uranus's Largest Moon: Titania
Titania's tortured terrain is a mix of canyons, cliffs, and craters. NASA's interplanetary robot spacecraft Voyager 2 passed the largest moon of Uranus in 1986 and took the feature picture. That the trenches of Titania resemble those on another moon of Uranus, Ariel, indicate that Titania underwent some violent surface event possibly related to water freezing and expanding in its distant past. Although Titania is Uranus's largest moon, it is only about half the radius of Triton - the largest moon of Uranus's sister planet Neptune, which itself is slightly smaller than Earth's Moon. Titania, discovered by William Herschel in 1787, is essentially a large dirty iceball that is composed of about half water-ice and half rock. There is recent speculation that radioactive heating melts some underground ice into oceans.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwC9crCohFk
Strong Solar Storm Coming Tonight | S0 News and frens
Mar.31.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC2InkK9L5o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CFldqQHS5w (Stefan Burns: This is Almost Starting to Feel Biblical…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L0ZLjwl1gg (TheEarthMaster: Major Earthquake 7.3 Vanuatu Area following a major X Class Solar Flare Monday update)
https://x.com/esaspaceweather/status/2038900603481469422
https://x.com/JimWindweather/status/2038947047986864352
https://x.com/foxweather/status/2038934341451968951
https://x.com/schumannbot/status/2038979662508949961
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000s8q0
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/297284/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Wednesday-11-Mar-2026.html
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/solar-cycle-25/2026/03/30/strong-solar-flare-erupts-from-sun-30/
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g2-g1-watches-mar-31-apr-02-utc-day
https://www.spaceweather.gov/news/g2-watch-march-31st-utc-day
https://spaceweather.com/
https://x.com/ViralDrop_/status/2038813963945971908
Coma Physics Of An Interstellar Object: JWST Spatial-Spectral Mapping Of 3I/ATLAS
March 30, 2026
We report a survey of molecular emission from cometary volatiles using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) toward interstellar object 3I/ATLAS carried out on UT 2025 December 22 and 23 at a heliocentric distance (rH) of 2.37−2.41 au.
These measurements of CO, CO2, H2O, CH3OH, and CH4 sampled molecular chemistry in 3I/ATLAS as it receded from its encounter with our Sun and entered the vicinity of the H2O ice line — the region between rH = 2−3 au where the temperature becomes too low for H2O to vigorously sublime and CO and CO2 begin to control the overall activity.
CO was the most abundant molecule, followed by H2O and CO2, whose molecular abundances with respect to CO were (44.4±0.7)% and (42.4±0.9)%, respectively.
This work presents spatial-spectral maps of column density and rotational temperature as a function of distance from the nucleus for all detected species.
The spatial distributions of both quantities were highly anisotropic for the apolar species in the coma of 3I/ATLAS, yet were more nearly symmetric for the polar molecules.
These results demonstrate how volatiles were segregated in the nucleus ices of 3I/ATLAS and reveal heating and cooling mechanisms in its coma.
Derived maps of the ortho-to-para ratio (OPR) for H2O were flat with increasing distance from the nucleus and consistent with a coma-averaged value OPR=2.7±0.1, slightly less than the expected equilibrium value of three.
https://astrobiology.com/2026/03/coma-physics-of-an-interstellar-object-jwst-spatial-spectral-mapping-of-3i-atlas.html
https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.20460
https://www.iflscience.com/comet-c2026-a1-maps-could-be-2026s-brightest-and-this-saturday-it-faces-either-death-or-glory-83023
https://92moose.fm/maine-lyrid-meteor-shower-april-2026/
https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-may-be-nearly-12-billion-years-old-so-ancient-its-star-system-may-no-longer-exist
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/benefits-of-extraterrestrial-intelligence-over-ai-357b080a536b
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/avi-loeb-comments-on-vice-president-jd-vances-remarks-that-ufos-might-be-demons-98916001b9bb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW9uNOBJfiw (Ray's Astro: FIREBALLS - Something Changed NEAR EARTH - What They Don’t EXPLAIN)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btu8CsvDpl8 (John Lenard Walson: Unidentified flying object)
https://x.com/drew4worldruler/status/2038753295053750282
https://www.wionews.com/photos/nasa-s-artemis-2-mission-how-ai-will-help-humans-on-their-journey-to-the-moon-1774944535374
extra Artemis II
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/artemis-ii-timeline-12-key-steps-that-will-take-nasa-astronauts-to-the-moon-and-back
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/why-wont-nasas-artemis-2-astronauts-land-on-the-moon-when-they-get-there
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/sendoff-for-artemis-ii-crew/
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/nasa-artemis-ii-mission-moon/2026/03/31/id/1251360/
https://x.com/WHOSTP47/status/2038975609712312525
https://x.com/NASA/status/2038767984060063896
NASA's Artemis 2 Mission: How AI will help humans on their journey to the Moon
Updated: Mar 31, 2026, 14:03 IST
Transition to Sustained Lunar Exploration
Slated for lift-off no earlier than the first of April 2026, NASA intends to launch a ten-day expedition that fundamentally shifts space travel from mere lunar visits to establishing a permanent planetary footprint.
Four crew members will traverse more than half a million miles to circumnavigate the dark side of the Moon, pushing human boundaries and testing essential mechanics for future habitation, including eventual journeys to Mars.
The Enormous Space Launch System
Driving this monumental future lunar voyage is the Space Launch System, which stands at ninety-eight meters and is recognized as the most formidable rocket ever constructed by the space agency.
Its core stage holds upwards of three million liters of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, flanked by dual solid rocket boosters. The manufacturing processes for this colossal launch vehicle have rigorously pushed the absolute boundaries of modern materials science.
Orion Spacecraft Enhancements and AI Integration
Perched atop the towering rocket is the Orion capsule, outfitted with a modernized glass flight deck featuring ceiling-mounted digital control boards optimized for microgravity operations.
Unlike older Apollo models, this vessel includes specialized hydration dispensers and an updated waste management facility.
Prior to flight readiness, technicians had to resolve engineering hurdles by replacing an electrical harness within the flight termination system and repairing a dislodged helium flow seal.
Furthermore, the expedition will heavily rely on artificial intelligence, complex algorithms, and digital twin simulations to monitor life support systems and plot trajectories, though the crew will conduct manual handling tests.
1/2
European Service Module Innovations
Sustained operation during the mission will be heavily reliant on the European Service Module, a joint creation by Airbus and the European Space Agency equipped with thirty-three individual engines.
This crucial module will manage the craft's thermal regulation, electrical generation, and propulsion. Utilizing a sophisticated network of cooling plates and radiators, the module is designed to shield the astronauts and internal electronics from the brutal temperature swings of the lunar space environment, which can range from negative two hundred degrees to positive two hundred degrees Celsius.
Solar Energy and Radiation-Hardened Computing
Breaking away from traditional fuel cell usage, the deep-space transport vehicle will rely on nineteen-meter, cross-shaped solar arrays containing over fifteen thousand gallium arsenide cells to produce 11.2 kilowatts of power, enough to sustain two standard homes.
The logical operations of the vessel will be governed by vehicle management processors adapted from commercial Boeing 787 flight computers.
These processors are specifically fortified to survive the high radiation of the Van Allen belts, utilizing a continuous cross-checking mechanism where any computer malfunctioning from radiation interference is instantly outvoted by its peers.
Biological Research and Crew Objectives
The selected personnel, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, alongside Mission Specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch, bring extensive expertise to the operation.
In addition to observing unprecedented lunar landscapes, the team will function as biological test subjects. Throughout the deep-space transit, the individuals will wear specialized dosimeters to track their radiation absorption and will yield saliva specimens to help researchers understand the impact of deep-space exposure on the human immune response.
A Terrifying Atmospheric Re-Entry
Following a close lunar pass where earthbound communications will sever for up to fifty minutes, the spacefarers will embark on a four-day return transit.
The voyage will conclude with an incredibly intense atmospheric re-entry process where the vessel will strike the Earth's atmosphere traveling at twenty-five thousand miles per hour.
During this perilous phase, the craft's specialized thermal barrier must endure extreme heat reaching two thousand seven hundred degrees Celsius, which equates to approximately half the temperature of the sun's surface.
2/2
Crew Kicks Off Week with Cargo Mission Training and Spacewalk Cleanup
March 30, 2026 4:44PM
Expedition 74 started the week training for the arrival of the next U.S. cargo mission and continuing to clean up after last week’s spacewalk.
The orbital residents also practiced medical emergency procedures, unloaded supplies from a new Roscosmos resupply ship, and ensured the International Space Station remains in tip-top shape.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft is the next mission targeted to launch to the orbital outpost no earlier than Wednesday, April 8 at 8:49 a.m. EDT.
NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway joined each other on Monday and reviewed the upcoming Cygnus XL mission, trained for its rendezvous procedures, and familiarized themselves with the equipment they will use to monitor Cygnus’ arrival.
Cygnus will be delivering advanced microgravity research gear to study quantum physics, test stem cell therapies, promote astronaut health, and more.
NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir spent Monday servicing a pair of spacesuits that she and Williams wore during a seven-hour and two-minute spacewalk on March 18.
She first cleaned and flushed the suit’s water-cooling loops that regulate an astronaut’s body temperature in the extreme environment of space.
Next, she emptied and refilled the suit’s water system to remove gas bubbles and contaminants keeping its life‑support system healthy and reliable.
Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) focused on a variety scientific experiments throughout Monday that explore different microgravity phenomena.
Adenot first collected data and powered down hardware from an investigation that is studying ways to quickly download large amounts of data from space.
Next, she swapped research samples inside a science freezer then inventoried and trashed used biomedical gear that examined the crew’s cardiovascular health.
Adenot finally recorded a video message for students on Earth describing why conducting science in space is important.
All four astronauts also joined Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev for a mid-afternoon emergency drill reviewing how to use and where to locate medical hardware.
The five crewmates also practiced CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and discussed individual roles and responsibilities in the event of a medical situation in low Earth orbit.
Fedyaev began his shift replacing smoke detectors and gas masks inside the Nauka science module. The two-time station visitor wrapped up his duties in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment and checked the quality of drinking water.
Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov serviced electrical components and checked the operation of the Elektron oxygen generator inside the Zvezda service module.
Afterward, Kud-Sverchkov studied using artificial intelligence tools to improve crew operations and communications with mission controllers.
Roscosmos flight engineer Sergei Mikaev spent his day offloading some of the three tons of food, fuel, and supplies packed inside the Progress 94 resupply ship that docked to the Poisk module on March 24.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/03/30/crew-kicks-off-week-with-cargo-mission-training-and-spacewalk-cleanup/
other NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/fires-tear-through-nebraska-grasslands/
https://www.nasa.gov/infrastructure-pilot-excavator/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/landsat/landsat-reveals-reservoir-changes-and-bathymetry/
https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emerging-technologies/nasas-x-59-returns-flight-after-false-positive-cockpit-warning
April's full moon decides the date of Easter — here's how it works
March 31, 2026
The first full moon of spring rises on April 1 and it plays a crucial role in setting the date of Easter.
The official moment that the moon will turn full is 10:12 p.m. EDT. Interestingly, at the instant of that full moon, its position in the sky will place it about a dozen degrees to the southeast of the spot that is occupied by the sun on the first day of autumn.
And the full moon occurring nearest to the autumnal equinox is traditionally called the Harvest Moon. What sets the Harvest Moon apart from the others is that, instead of moonrise occurring at its normal average of 50 minutes later each day, it seems to rise at nearly the same time for several nights.
The first full moon of spring also has a special branding: the Paschal full moon or the Paschal Term — 14 or 15 Nisan on the Jewish Calendar, which also marks Pesach or Passover.
Easter is observed on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. So, according to the current ecclesiastical rules, Easter is to be celebrated on April 5. Interestingly, Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.
So, by these standards, Easter is coming a bit early in the calendar this year.
Arcane rules for scheduling
Interestingly, however, these rules also state that the vernal equinox is fixed on March 21, even though worldwide from the years 2008 through 2103 it will occur no later than March 20.
Hence, there can sometimes be discrepancies between the ecclesiastical and astronomical versions for dating Easter. In the year 2038, for instance, the equinox falls on March 20 with a full Moon the next day, so astronomically speaking, Easter should fall on March 28 of that year.
And yet, as mandated by the rules of the Church, Easter in 2038 will be observed as late as it can possibly come, on April 25!
Thus, Easter, in practice, is determined from other formulae such as Epachs and Golden Numbers.
Also, in contrast to the Harvest Full Moon, the Paschal full moon appears to rise considerably later each night. In the table below, we've provided some examples for ten North American cities.
The local moonrise times for March 31, April 1 and April 2 are provided, the middle date being that of the Paschal Full Moon.
Although normally the moon rises about 50 minutes later each night, over this three-night interval for our relatively small sampling, we can see that the rising of the Paschal moon comes, on average, just over 65 minutes later each night.
A quick study of the table shows that the night-to-night difference is greatest for the more northerly locations (Edmonton, located at latitude 53.6ºN., sees moonrise come an average of 78 minutes later).
Meanwhile, the difference is less at more southerly locations (at Miami, Florida, located at latitude 26ºN, the average difference is just under 55 minutes).
The reason for this seasonal circumstance is that the moon appears to move along the ecliptic and at this time of year, when rising, the ecliptic makes its largest angle with respect to the horizon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.
In contrast, for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, the ecliptic at this time of year appears to stand at a more oblique angle to the eastern horizon.
As such, the difference for the time of moonrise is noticeably less than the average of 50 minutes per night. In Sydney, Australia, for instance, (where the full moon occurs on the calendar date of April 2), the night-to-night difference amounts to just under 27 minutes.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/aprils-full-moon-decides-the-date-of-easter-heres-how-it-works
NASA Rover Finds Glowing, Ruby-Like Crystals on Mars for the First Time
March 31, 2026, 9:35 am ET
Over the past five years, a six-wheeled robot has been exploring the Martian terrain and capturing unusual features like a leopard-spotted rock, a tangle of strings, and textured rock formations that look like popcorn.
Now, NASA’s Perseverance rover has found tiny gemstones that resemble rubies.
An international group of researchers spotted evidence of precious stones hidden inside Martian pebbles. The gem grains are made of corundum, a crystalline material that’s known as ruby or sapphire.
The findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas earlier this month and suggest that Mars could be hiding other precious minerals across its desert-like terrain.
Precious stones
Perseverance recently explored the rim of Jezero Crater, a 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer) impact crater on Mars that may once have been filled with a deep lake.
Near the crater’s stony rim, the rover found tiny, pale-colored pebbles that looked out of place, meaning they may have been transported there by impacts or geological activity.
Using the rover’s SuperCam, scientists blasted the rocks with lasers to reveal their chemical composition. Perseverance’s analysis of the rocks revealed something unexpected: three samples showed signatures of the mineral corundum.
The laser excited the minerals, causing them to emit optical radiation (i.e., light) if they contained luminescent elements. Sure enough, the laser produced luminescent light, indicating the presence of chromium-bearing corundum.
Sapphires and rubies are both gem varieties of corundum, sharing the same chemical composition and structure, but each differs in trace elements that give them their unique colors.
Chromium makes rubies red, while iron and titanium give sapphires their colors. The pebbles found on Mars had trace elements of chromium, making them more similar to rubies, according to the recent findings.
Ruby red
On Earth, rubies form deep within the planet’s crust due to intense heat and pressure. So how did they end up on Mars?
The Red Planet has had some tectonic activity in the past, but not enough for the gems to have formed.
Instead, the researchers believe meteorite impacts on Mars may have been the culprit behind the rubies, according to New Scientist.
The researchers also aren’t sure whether Perseverance has indeed found Martian rubies or another type of corundum.
The gems found on Mars are so small, around 0.008 inches (0.2 millimeters) each, that it’s difficult for the team to determine their exact chemical composition.
Whether or not they are rubies, the tiny fluorescent gems are still interesting enough to qualify for the list of strange findings on the Red Planet.
https://gizmodo.com/nasa-rover-finds-glowing-ruby-like-crystals-on-mars-for-the-first-time-2000740212
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis-2-pilot-victor-glover-whitey-on-the-moon-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goh2x_G0ct4
NASA's Artemis 2 pilot Victor Glover listens to 'Whitey on the Moon' every Monday. This is why.
March 31, 2026
Once at a space conference I attended in Colorado Springs, NASA astronaut Victor Glover — the pilot of NASA's upcoming Artemis 2 mission to the moon — said something that caused a bit of a stir.
It was April 17, 2023, just two weeks after NASA had named Glover to the Artemis 2 crew, a lunar flight that will make him the first person of color ever to visit the moon. Glover was there at the Space Symposium conference with other astronauts to talk about, well, space.
But he also told a group of reporters about his weekly tradition: Every Monday, he listens to "Whitey on the Moon" on the way to work at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Glover happens to be Black. And now he's going to the moon. NASA is targeting April 1 for the launch of Artemis 2, which will send Glover and three other astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby mission.
"It's funny, because that Space Symposium caused me a lot of grief in the next months because people tried to quote me out of context," Glover told me in an interview last September. "And it ain't about racism. It's about the human condition."
"Whitey on the Moon" is a spoken-word poem by Gil Scott-Heron published and set to music in 1970. It recounts the challenges of doctor bills, taxes and high rent for Black Americans at a time when the U.S. was spending billions to send astronauts to the moon and beat the Soviet Union during the Cold War space race. You can read the full poem here.
It begins:
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey's on the moon)
I can't pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey's on the moon)
Ten years from now I'll be payin' still.
(while Whitey's on the moon)
"That song is a reminder that everybody wasn't having a good time in 1968 when we launched the first Apollo missions.
People were struggling," Glover said. "Some people were like, 'These bills and these potholes, like my condition hasn't been improved by NASA.'
Glover, 47, who grew up in Pomona, California and has four daughters (named Genesis, Maya, Joia, and Corinne) with his wife Dionna.
He started listening to Scott-Heron's song and poem as a way to keep a perspective that many people out there aren't space-loving cheerleaders, and as a way to share that perspective with his colleagues.
1/2
"That song reminds me that, at that time, that community, which is very similar to the community I grew up in, they didn't feel heard," Glover told me.
"And so it's a reminder to me that there are more perspectives and more stories out there than you'll hear from the people cheering for NASA on a regular basis."
"But those people? We work for them too."
The public revelation of Glover's "Whitey on the Moon" tradition may have given him some grief, but it was hardly the first time he'd shared personal opinions about social justice.
In June 2020, after the murder of George Floyd by then-police officer Derek Chavin in Minneapolis, Glover took to what was then Twitter (now called X) to share his feelings.
"My heart is low, my head is level, and my faith is high. So much to process, if you're struggling, that's OK," he wrote at the time. "I see you, I am you. Let's dialogue. Let's think. Let's Work."
One critic, in a post that has since been deleted, asked why Glover couldn't just stick to space.
"Actually no. Remember who is doing space. People are," Glover replied. "As we address extreme weather and pandemic disease, we will understand and overcome racism and bigotry so we can safely and together do space. Thanks for asking."
But getting back to "Whitey on the Moon," Glover said the perspective from the poem is important because, for some, there has never been any other way to look at life.
"I have never had the option to not have that perspective. I am a Black man in America," he said while speaking with Axios in 2023 at the Space Symposium. (I was there recording.) "I grew up with this."
"I live in the America that sent me to space, [and] told my grandfather he couldn't fly during the Korean conflict when he was enlisted," Glover added. "We live in a very complicated country."
Glover, a U.S. Navy Captain and test pilot, joined NASA in 2013 and first flew to space on SpaceX's Crew-1, a six-month mission to the International Space Station.
"When I came to NASA, they said, 'Hey, we hired you because of who you are,'" Glover told Axios. "Okay, cool. You get all of it."
Last September, during his interview with me, Glover said that our complicated country was on full display during the Apollo missions, which flew at the end of a turbulent decade filled with civil rights protests.
After the assasination of Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968, his successor, Ralph Albernathy rallied some 500 demonstrators, mostly Black, to protest the Apollo 11 moon mission's launch at the gates of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It's the same spaceport that Glover and his crewmates will launch from on Feb. 8.
Abernathy and demonstrators brought two mules and a wooden wagon as a stark contrast to Apollo 11's mighty Saturn V rocket, a reminder that the U.S. was paying for moon rockets while others struggled to afford food and housing.
"The NASA administrator went down himself and talked to him," Glover said of Abernathy and then-NASA Administrator Thomas Paine. "And by the end of that conversation, that group of people that was at a protest prayed for the safety of those astronauts in that mission, because they had a human moment."
"They talked, and they heard, and were heard," Glover told me. "And I think that is a lesson."
2/2
are the whiteys tall?
Rocketroll: nuclear-electric spacecraft study
31/03/2026
In brief
-
The conclusions from an ESA-commissioned study on a nuclear-electric powered spacecraft are available.
-
A wide pool of experts from all domains, gathered in three consortia, delivered reports with their design approaches: Tractebel, CNRS and OHB Czech Space.
-
All aspects from safety to ground segment, operations and technological requirements were considered.
In-depth
As humans prepare to explore farther from our Sun with more cargo and more versatility, our current space technology is quickly reaching its limits. Nuclear-electric propulsion could provide a large source of power that solar panels or traditional propellants cannot achieve.
The “Rocketroll” study (a loose acronym taking letters from the phrase “pReliminary eurOpean reCKon on nuclEar elecTric pROpuLsion for space appLications”) tasked three consortia to investigate a European approach to nuclear electric propulsion.
The study is similar to the Alumni study but focusses on electric propulsion instead of nuclear-thermal propulsion. With nuclear-electric power, controlled fission is used to generate electricity.
The Rocketroll study was conducted because some space missions have high-power requirements which can only be achieved with nuclear power. For example missions to outer planets, or Moon surface missions that need to survive the 14-day lunar night.
The Rocketroll designs could provide electrical power ranging from hundreds of kilowatts that would fit with Europe's Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket, to a few megawatts that could be launched on next-generation rockets.
Three consortia, three designs
Three teams looked at the nuclear-electric designs and proposed their solutions in three reports, the executive summaries are public and are linked below.
Tractebel led a proposal that relied on enriched uranium, CNRS proposed a solution based on a molten salt reactor, and OHB Czech Space suggested a larger spacecraft.
New focus, new possibilities
“The studies show clearly what is possible and how well it all fits inside ESA’s long-term strategy 2040,” explains Valère Girardin, ESA’s programme manager for the study, “We now better understand what technologies are missing and what to target in research and development.”
All studies conclude the use of nuclear-powered propulsion opens new paths for exploration: there are destinations or missions that are simply unattainable with traditional spacecraft propulsion.
Safety is no problem, all designs rely on unirradiated uranium that is not activated until in orbit, meaning no high radiation, even in case of launcher explosion, splashdown to the ocean or other launch failure.
The uranium’s chain reaction is only activated –once in space and safely in orbit, until then the uranium is inert.
The tipping point for spacecraft designs is around the 100 kW power level, below that power production a solar-electric propulsion system relying on solar panels is ideal, above that a nuclear-electric design rules.
All consortia foresee two launches, one with the payload, and one with the spacecraft that would dock in Earth orbit continue their voyage in space together.
“These studies are kick-starting progress and putting nuclear-powered European spaceflight on the roadmap,” concludes Valère, “the technologies we need fit well with ESA Member States industrial capacities and the political will is gaining traction, we now have a clearer target to work towards.”
The next step is to increase knowledge and experience of each system separately, the nuclear reactor, the radiation shield, the energy conversion system, the thermal heating and cooling system and the electric thrusters.
ESA has formed a nuclear propulsion working group that will oversee the design and building of sub-scale hardware and tests in laboratories.
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Future_space_transportation/Rocketroll_nuclear-electric_spacecraft_study
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/Space_in_Member_States/United_Kingdom/ESA_marks_60_years_of_Star_Trek_at_London_s_Science_Museum
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Connectivity_and_Secure_Communications/Seven_missions_launched_to_test_optimised_data_transfer_from_space
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/IRIDE/Eight_more_satellites_added_to_IRIDE_space_programme
https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/siemens-joins-esa-epic-initiative-to-boost-european-space-startups/