Assembly, test and launch operations for a nuclear-enabled NASA mission: Considerations that are specific to use of a nuclear power system

Physics & Astronomy

• space missions 71%
• assembly 68%
• nuclear reactors 67%
• thermoelectric generators 55%
• horizon 29%
• spacecraft 27%
• mars 23%
• planning 20%
• radioisotope heat sources 19%
• safety 19%
• spacecraft propulsion 16%
• Mars missions 16%
• launch vehicles 14%
• preparation 14%
• posture 14%
• scheduling 14%
• documentation 13%
• deep space 13%
• refueling 12%
• threads 12%
• solar system 10%
• isotopes 8%
• generators 8%
• requirements 6%
• oxides 6%

Earth & Environmental Sciences

• nuclear power 99%
• radionuclide 72%
• nuclear reactor 60%
• test 31%
• spacecraft 29%
• site preparation 22%
• Mars 22%
• plan 22%
• nuclear safety 11%
• solar power 10%
• electrical power 10%
• planning 10%
• material 9%
• posture 9%
• heat source 9%
• solar system 8%
• documentation 7%
• coordination 7%
• instrumentation 7%
• vehicle 6%
• oxide 6%
• isotope 6%
• safety 5%
• experiment 3%

Engineering & Materials Science

• Radioisotopes 100%
• Nuclear energy 82%
• Nuclear reactors 53%
• Spacecraft 21%
• Spacecraft propulsion 13%
• Planning 10%
• Fueling 10%
• Isotopes 9%
• Solar system 9%
• Launch vehicles 9%
• Testing 8%
• Solar energy 7%
• Oxides 6%
• Scheduling 5%
• Hot Temperature 3%
• Experiments 2%