The Importance of Nuclear Technology in Space

Should the United States use space nuclear thermal propulsion for its key on-orbit assets? It’s not just simply to stuff of Star Trek. In fact the idea has been around since before we landed on the moon. The Russians, the Chinese and the U.S. are pursuing it for deep space operations. Laura Winter speaks with Christopher Stone, who is a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Research Center, and the author of a paper outlining why he thinks it’s time for nuclear powered satellites and other spacecraft for space maneuver warfare.