Will Russia's Next Rocket be Nuclear?

By Nancy Atkinson - October 28, 2009 at 8:27 AM UTC | Uncategorized

[/caption] Russia's space agency chief is proposing to build a new spaceship with a nuclear engine. Reportedly, Anatoly Perminov told a government meeting Wednesday that the preliminary design could be ready by 2012. It would take about nine more years and 17 billion rubles (about $600 million or 400 million euros) to build the ship. This ambitious proposal is a stark contrast to the current state of the Russian space program.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged the Cabinet to consider providing the necessary funding. Russia is currently using 40-year old Soyuz booster rockets and capsules to send crews to the International Space Station.

Source: Yahoo News