NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application)

NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) was a NASA project in the 1960s and 1970s to develop nuclear thermal rocket engines. These engines used a nuclear reactor to heat a propellant like hydrogen, which then expelled at high speed to produce thrust. This method allows for more efficient energy use compared to traditional chemical rockets, enabling faster and more distant space travel, such as missions to Mars. Although NERVA was never launched into space, its technology demonstrated the potential of nuclear thermal propulsion for future deep-space exploration.