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Nuclear engineering
The reactions and machines that cross a billion kilometres: fusion, fission, and the heat that has to go somewhere.
Four engines carry people and cargo through the Saturn system, and all four are nuclear. The pages here follow the energy from the nucleus to the exhaust, and from the reactor to the radiator.
Fusion propulsion and helium-3
The Long Passage burns about 370 kg of fusion fuel on a crossing, and throws nearly 4,000 tonnes of hydrogen out of her magnetic nozzle to do it.
Nuclear-thermal rockets
The Gateway shuttle runs 929 MW of reactor heat through liquid methane from Kraken Mare and throws the hot gas out of its nozzle.
Electric propulsion
The inter-moon tug pushes with 85 newtons for 120 days and carries 100 tonnes from Titan's orbit to Enceladus.
Reactors and heat on Titan
Two small modular reactors give Kraken Shore its electricity and its heat, because the Sun at Saturn is about a hundred times fainter than at Earth.
Also: Chemical engineering · The Saturn system · Propulsion · The fleet