Scope

The DEMOCRITOS project aims to investigate several technologies that are necessary for high power nuclear electric propulsion. To do so DEMOCRITOS will design experiments that will either verify or mature said technologies, with emphasis on subsystem interaction. As such, there are three different demonstrators within DEMOCRITOS:

 1.     The DEMOCRITOS Ground Demonstrator, which has the final goal of producing designs of ground experiments that will allow maturation of necessary technologies in the field of MW level nuclear electric propulsion, with emphasis on energy conversion, thermal control and electric propulsion. Main aim of this demonstrator is to investigate the interaction of major spacecraft subsystems, such as thermal management, power management and distribution, propulsion, structures and power conversion subsystems.

 2.   DEMOCRITOS Core Demonstrator: This element of the DEMOCRITOS project concerns scale down nuclear reactor simulations in order to provide feedback to the DEMOCRITOS ground demonstrator, which will be using a non-nuclear power source.

 3.     DEMOCRITOS Space Demonstrator: This demonstrator concerns system architecture and robotic studies that will investigate in detail the overall design of a high power nuclear spacecraft, together with a pragmatic strategy for assembly in orbit of such a large structure coupled with a nuclear reactor and the influence of that element on overall spacecraft design.