| NASA Center: |
Headquarters |
|---|
| Image # : |
cc-214 |
|---|
| Date : |
1960
|
|---|
|
Title
Kiwi-A Prime Atomic Reactor
Full Description
Kiwi-A Prime is one of a series of atomic reactors for
studying the feasibility of nuclear rocket propulsion, in Los
Alamos, New Mexico. Developed by the Los Alamos Scientific
Laboratory for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the reactor
underwent a highly successful full-power run on July 8, 1960,
at Nevada Test Site in Jackass Flats, Nevada.
Kiwi was a project under the National Nuclear Rocket
development program, sponsored jointly by Atomic Energy
Commission and NASA as part of project Rover/NERVA (Nuclear
Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application). The main objective
of Rover/NERVA was to design a flight rated thermodynamic
nuclear rocket engine. Kiwi was a prototype for a nuclear
rocket reactor that could be used in space travel. Gaseous
hydrogen was used as a propellant on the Kiwi-A tests that
began in 1959. Kiwi-A served as a learning tool to test
specifications and to discover changes that needed to be
implemented in the next phase of study, the Kiwi-B series.
This project began in December 1961 and used liquid hydrogen
as a propellant.
In the late 1960's and early 1970's, the Nixon Administration
cut NASA and NERVA funding dramatically. The cutbacks were
made in response to a lack of public interest in human
spaceflight, the end of the space race after the Apollo
Moon landing, and the growing use of low-cost unmanned,
robotic space probes. Eventually NERVA lost its funding,
and the project ended in 1973.
Keywords
NERVA Kiwi Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory New Mexico
Atomic Energy Commission Nuclear Reactors Rocket Engine
Subject Category
Rocket Propulsion
Reference Numbers
- Center:
HQ
- Center Number:
cc-214
- GRIN DataBase Number:
GPN-2002-000141
Source Information
- Creator/Photographer: NASA
- Original Source: DIGITAL
| Resolution | Format | Width
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JPEG |
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9 |
Small |
JPEG |
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Medium |
JPEG |
1426 |
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1,043 |
Large |
JPEG |
2852 |
2200 |
5,839 |
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Updated October 31, 2002
• History Questions: NASA History Office
• Responsible NASA Official: Steve Garber
• Author: Michael Hahn. Editor: Dwayne A. Day
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