An internal interface structure of a nuclear thermal propulsion nuclear reactor including a reactor vessel and a reactor head, including a substantially cylindrical body having a top end, a bottom end, an inner surface, and an outer surface, and an annular flange extending radially-outwardly from the outer surface of the body, wherein the annular flange of the interface structure is mounted between an upper flange of the reactor vessel and a bottom flange of the reactor head.

This invention is a continuum of enabling technology applying prior patent applications to create and then sustain a planetary heavy construction, soil and water mining and refining using a nuclear power appliances infrastructure. The methods used within this invention provide capabilities to build a sustainable support environment for earth-like habitable complexes that will include buildings and maintenance facilities, living spaces, and office spaces focused on full scale commercial mining operations for He3, H.sub.2O and other strategic minerals and raw building materials.

A customizable thin plate fuel form and reactor core therefor are disclosed. The thin plate fuel will comprise a fuel material embedded within a matrix material, with the entire unit having a coating. The thin plate fuel may be flat or curved and will have flow channels formed within at least the top surface of the fuel plate. The structure of the thin plate fuel will make it easier for coating with Tungsten or any other suitable material that will help contain any byproducts, prevent reactions with the working fluid, and potentially provide structural support to the thin plate fuel.

A fusion drive magnetically confining a plasma in a stable plectonemic minimum-energy Taylor states formed from the merging of a plurality of plectonemic Taylor states. Magnetic reconnection converts magnetic energy into ion heating to attain high temperatures before compression. The plasma configuration is then compressed to net gain in a peristaltic magnetic nozzle arrangement. The fusion drive supports generation of electrical power with inductive direct electric or thermal conversion methods.

Nuclear propulsion fission reactor structure has an active core region including fuel element structures, a reflector with rotatable neutron absorber structures (such as drum absorbers), and a core former conformal mating the outer surface of the fuel element structures to the reflector. Fuel element structures are arranged abutting nearest neighbor fuel element structures in a tri-pitch design. Cladding bodies defining coolant channels are inserted into and joined to upper and lower core plates to from a continuous structure that is a first portion of the containment structure. The nuclear propulsion fission reactor structure can be incorporated into a nuclear thermal propulsion engine for propulsion applications, such as space propulsion.

A rocket configured to employ superheated water as a propellant, includes a photon reactor including a photon generator configured to generate UV light to superheat water.

A nuclear reactor having a pressure vessel, the reactor including a first plenum plate disposed within the pressure vessel, the first plenum plate defining a first plurality of apertures, a second plenum plate disposed within the pressure vessel, the second plenum plate being parallel to the first plenum plate and defining a first plurality of apertures, a fuel element including a fuel element flow tube extending through a first one of both the first pluralities of apertures of both the first and the second plenum plates, and a first fuel element standoff spool being disposed about a portion of the fuel element flow tube that is disposed between the first and the second plenum plates.

A craft having a source of deuterium-containing micro-fusion fuel particles is operable above a planetary, lunar or asteroid surface in the presence of ambient cosmic rays. The fuel particles are dispersible from a set of ports, where at least some of the ports are in an underside of the craft body and others are in lateral sides of the craft body. Dispersed fuel particles interact with ambient cosmic rays and muons to generate energetic reaction products, at least some which are then received by the underside of the craft to generate lift and also selected lateral sides of the craft to generate propulsive thrust in a desired lateral direction. The craft can carry tethers and winches to carry a payload above the surface from location to another. In another embodiment, a balloon-based design, such as a dirigible, provides primary buoyant lift, while the micro-fusion particles provide at least lateral thrust, and supplemental lift where needed.

Establishing and growth of a lunar or planetary surface base involves continuing to use landing spacecraft as docked modules of the base for habitation and work. A first spacecraft is landed at a specified surface site then doubles as first module of the base. A second (and later third and subsequent) spacecraft is landed at the site a safe distance from the existing base modules then moved over the surface into a side-by-side position to dock with selected base modules. At least some of the landing, surface transport, and operational electric power is supplied by micro-fusion using ambient cosmic rays and muons interacting with deuterium-containing particle fuel material to generate energetic reaction products.

A control drum system for a nuclear reactor including a reactor core, including an ex-core reflector including a plurality of cylindrical apertures, a plurality of control drum assemblies, each control drum assembly including a drive shaft, a drum cylinder affixed to a bottom end of the drive shaft, and a planetary gear attached to a top end of the drive shaft, wherein each drum cylinder is rotatably received in a cylindrical aperture, a first control drum drive motor operably connected to a first control drum assembly, and an annular ring gear that is operably connected to the planetary gear of each of the control drum assemblies so that all the control drum assemblies rotate simultaneously.