Liquid Uranium Rocket Halves Mars Travel

Ohio State engineers propose a centrifugal nuclear thermal rocket that keeps uranium in a liquid core and directly heats propellant, targeting specific impulse beyond 900 seconds and one‑way Mars trips in about six months. The team says the design could be readiness‑level in five years and could use propellants like ammonia or methane sourced in space, though fuel containment and startup/shutdown stability are key risks. — If liquid‑core nuclear propulsion matures, it would reset human‑spaceflight planning and force new rules for launching and operating nuclear materials in space.