Gas-core nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems offer specific impulses far beyond the limits of solid-core reactors by using gaseous uranium fuel at extremely high temperatures. This work presents a closed-cycle, vortex-stabilized “nuclear light bulb” reactor design featuring quartz containment, neon buffer-gas recirculation, regenerative hydrogen cooling, and a seven-cell clustered architecture. Analytical neutronics, thermal, and fluid-dynamic evaluations indicate achievable performance of 1550–1850 s specific impulse and 45–70 kN thrust at 350–500 MW reactor power. Fuel retention exceeds 99.999%, with negligible radiological exhaust. The concept demonstrates feasibility for rapid interplanetary transport pending further experimental validation.
Sharma et al. (Thu,) studied this question.