Bibliography
1. NASA. America Underway in Space on Nuclear Power. Official mission overview of SR-1 Freedom, nuclear electric propulsion architecture, and Mars demonstration objectives.
2. NASA. Nuclear Flight Safety Overview. Documentation of launch approval processes, safety analysis, and regulatory requirements for nuclear payloads.
3. U.S. Department of Energy. What is a Nuclear Microreactor? Technical overview of transportable microreactors, deployment use cases, and operational characteristics.
4. International Atomic Energy Agency. What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)? Definitions and global context for modular nuclear reactor development.
5. International Atomic Energy Agency. Fusion Energy Overview. Technical explanation of plasma confinement, reaction conditions, and engineering barriers to sustained fusion.
6. U.S. Department of Energy. Deuterium-Tritium Fusion Fuel Cycle. Description of neutron flux, tritium breeding, and material challenges in fusion systems.
7. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Space Nuclear Propulsion for Mars Missions. Assessment of nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion technologies and readiness.
8. Reuters. NASA Nuclear and Lunar Strategy Coverage (2026). Reporting on policy shifts, contractor involvement, and geopolitical context for U.S. space nuclear initiatives.