Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:Scientists and engineers are diligently working on innovative concepts to make the next era of human spaceflight more powerful and more efficient using nuclear propulsion. Humanity owes a debt of gratitude to the chemical rockets that have launched satellites, astronauts, and entire space stations into space. For one, there’s an entire other category of nuclear propulsion known as NEP, which converts nuclear heat into electricity to power ion thrusters. But as Universe Today also notes, the big problem is guaranteeing that only hydrogen escapes the propulsion nozzle, and not uranium fuel. By then, nuclear propulsion engines will likely be whizzing around the Solar System.