The spacecraft is scheduled to launch on a mission to Jupiter in 2030.
Russia eventually hopes to build a nuclear-powered space station using similar technology.
Russia is planning to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to the moon, then Venus, then Jupiter.
Roscosmos, Russia s federal space agency, announced Saturday that its space tug the term for a spacecraft that transports astronauts or equipment from one orbit to another is scheduled to launch on an interplanetary mission in 2030.
The spacecraft s energy module, named Zeus, is designed to generate enough power to propel heavy cargo through deep space. It s essentially a mobile nuclear-power plant.
Several countries have their eyes on similar technology as a way to shorten trips in space. Right now, spacecraft rely on solar power or gravity to accelerate. But that means it could take more than three years for astronauts to conduct a round-trip visit to Mars. NASA estimates that a nuclear-powered spacecraft could sh
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