Abstract

  Prospects are discussed of interorbital transportation vehicles based on reusable space tugs with nuclear electric rocket propulsion for spacecraft delivering to the high orbits. The potential advantages of this kind of tugs are demonstrated comparing with the traditional spacecraft launch technologies. The issues of the nuclear interorbital tugs development are examined with the special attention towards the baseline information uncertainty, as well as of the nuclear space tugs ground processing considering requirements of the nuclear and radiation safety.

Keywords: Geostationary orbit, spacecraft, interorbital space tug, parametric optimization, radiation safety, upper stage, interorbital transportation means, nuclear electric rocket propulsion, power and propulsion system.