TEM (nuclear propulsion)

TEM is an under development nuclear propulsion spacecraft with the intention to facilitate the transportation of large cargoes in deep space. It will be constructed by the Russian Keldysh Research Center, NIKIET institute, and Rosatom.

Mission

A Russian project to create an uncrewed nuclear electric rocket spaceship for Solar system exploration. The first reactor tests are scheduled for the early 2020s; as of May 2020, the first orbital flight test of the reactor is planned for no earlier than 2030. The first mission, named Zeus, is envisioned to operate for 50 months and deliver payloads to the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter through multiple gravity assists.

Specifications

Reactor

Coolant: 78% helium/22% xenon.
Heat power: 3.8 MW
Electric power: 1 MW

Spacecraft

Mass: 20,290 kg
Thrust: 18 N
Specific impulse: 7000 s
Space-launch vehicle: Angara

Project history

2009 – Project started.
March 2016 – First batch of nuclear fuel received
October 2018 – Successful initial tests of the water droplet radiator system
May 2021 – Zeus mission proposed by Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences