| NASA Center: |
Headquarters |
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| Image # : |
67-H-1592 |
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| Date : |
12/01/1967
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Title
XECF
Full Description
The first ground experimental nuclear rocket engine (XE)
assembly, in a "cold flow" configuration, is shown being
installed in Engine Test Stand No. 1 at the Nuclear Rocket
Development Station in Jackass Flats, Nevada. Cold flow
experiments are conducted using an assembly identical to the
design used in power tests except that the cold assembly does not
contain any fissionable material nor produce a nuclear reaction.
Therefore, no fission power is generated.
Functionally, the XECF (Experimental Engine Cold Flow) is similar
to the breadboard nuclear engine system (NERVA Reactor
Experiment/Engine System Test or NRX/EST) tested in 1966, except
that the experimental engine more closely resembles flight
configuration. In addition to the nozzle-reactor assembly, the
XCEF has two major subassemblies: an "upper thrust module"
(attached to test stand) and a "lower thrust module" containing
propellant feed system components. This arrangement is used to
facilitate remote removal and replacement of major subassemblies
in the event of a malfunction. The cold flow experiential engine
underwent a series of tests designed to verify that the initial
test stand was ready for "hot" engine testing, as well as to
investigate engine start up under simulated altitude conditions,
and to check operating procedures not previously demonstrated.
The XECF engine was part of project Rover/NERVA. The main
objective of Rover/NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle
Application) was to develop a flight rated thermodynamic nuclear
rocket engine with 75,000 pounds of thrust. The Rover portion of
the program began in 1955 when the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission's Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and the Air Force
initially wanted a nuclear engine for missile applications.
However, in 1958, the newly created NASA inherited the Air Force
responsibilities, with an engine slated for use in advanced, long
-term space missions. The NERVA portion did not originate until
1960 and the industrial team of Aerojet General Corporation and
Westinghouse Electric had the responsibility to develop it.
In 1960, NASA and the AEC created the Space Nuclear Propulsion
Office to manage project Rover/NERVA. In the following decade, it
oversaw a series of reactor tests: Kiwi-A, Kiwi-B, Phoebus,
Pewee, and the Nuclear Furnace, all conducted by Los Alamos to
prove concepts and test advanced ideas. Aerojet and Westinghouse
tested their own series: NRX-A2, A3, EST, A5, A6, and XE-Prime
(Experimental Engine). All were tested at the Nuclear Rocket
Development Station at the AEC's Nevada Test Site in Jackass
Flats, Nevada, about 100 miles west of Las Vegas.
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
XECF Cold Flow NERVA Rover Atomic Energy Commission Nevada Los
Alamos Nuclear Rocket Engine
Subject Category
Rocket Propulsion
Reference Numbers
- Center:
HQ
- Center Number:
67-H-1592
- GRIN DataBase Number:
GPN-2002-000142
Source Information
- Creator/Photographer: AEC-NASA
- Original Source: DIGITAL
| Resolution | Format | Width
(Pixels) | Height
(Pixels) | Size
(KBytes) |
Thumbnail |
JPEG |
67 |
83 |
11 |
Small |
JPEG |
477 |
591 |
232 |
Medium |
JPEG |
1118 |
1385 |
1,207 |
Large |
JPEG |
2236 |
2770 |
7,191 |
Publication Information
Information on Project Rover/NERVA provided by James Dewar.
Other relevant NASA Web sites:
• NASA Headquarters
• NASA History Office
• NASA Image eXchange (NIX)
• NASA Multimedia Gallery
• NASA Human Spaceflight
Updated October 31, 2002
• History Questions: NASA History Office
• Responsible NASA Official: Steve Garber
• Author: Michael Hahn. Editor: Dwayne A. Day
• Curator & Technical Questions: Erin Needham
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