Project Timberwind
Name Location Responsibilities
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton , NY Reactor materials and components testing ; thermal-hydraulic , and neutronic analysis ; reactor design studies
Babcock & Wilcox Lynchburg , VA Reactor design testing , fabrication and assembly
Sandia National Labs Albuquerque , NM Nuclear safety , nuclear instrumentation and operation , reactor control system modeling , nuclear testing
Aerojet Propulsion Division Sacramento , CA Fuel element alternate materials development
Hercules Aerospace Corporation Magna , UT Design and fabrication of engine lower structure and nozzle
Garrett Fluid Systems Division Tempe , AZ and San Tan , AZ Design and fabrication of attitude control system , propellant flow control system and turbopump assembly
AiResearch Los Angeles Division of Allied Signal Torrance , CA Turbine wheel testing
Grumman Space Electronics Division Bethpage , NY Vehicle design and fabrication , systems integration
Raytheon Services Nevada Las Vegas , NV Facility and Coolant Supply System ( CSS ) engineering , facility construction management
Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company , Inc Las Vegas , NV Facility construction
Fluor-Daniel , Inc Irvine , CA Effluent Treatment System ( ETS ) engineering
Sandia National Labs Saddle Mountain Test Site or QUEST or LOFT Sites Test site preparation , planning and performance of engine ground tests , nuclear component testing
[ REDACTED ] Washington , DC Program management
DoE Headquarters Washington , DC Program management , nuclear safety assurance
DoE Nevada Test Site Las Vegas , NV Ground testing
DoE Idaho National Engineering Lab Idaho Falls , ID Ground testing
U.S. Air Force Phillips Lab Albuquerque , NM Program management
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntsville , AL ETS engineering management
Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos , NM Fuels and materials testing
Marshall Space Flight Center ( NASA ) Huntsville , AL Material and component simulation/testing
Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Program
SNTP Engine Baseline Fuel Particle Typical Reactor Assembly Graphite Turbine Wheel Integrated C-C Pressure Vessel & Nozzle PBR Upper Stage Applications PBR Design Methodology [ 3 ] In contrast to the TIMBER WIND project , the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion ( SNTP ) program was intended to develop upper-stages for space-lift which would not operate within the Earth 's atmosphere . SNTP failed to achieve its objective of flight testing a nuclear thermal upper-stage , and was terminated in January 1994 . [ 4 ] The program involved coordinating efforts across the Department of Defense , the Department of Energy , and their contractors from operating sites across the U.S. A major accomplishment of the program was to coordinate Environmental Protection Agency approvals for ground testing at two possible sites . [ 5 ]
Project Timberwind aimed to develop nuclear thermal rockets. Initial funding by the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) from 1987 through 1991 totaled $139 million (then-year). The proposed rocket was later expanded into a larger design after the project was transferred to the Air Force Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) program and underwent an audit in 1992 due to concerns raised by Steven Aftergood. This special access program provided the motivation for starting the FAS Government Secrecy project. Convicted spy Stewart Nozette was found to be on the master access list for the TIMBER WIND project. Advances in high-temperature metals, computer modelling and nuclear engineering in general resulted in dramatically improved performance. Whereas the NERVA engine was projected to weigh about 6803 kg, the final SNTP offered just over 1/3 the thrust from an engine of only 1650 kg, while further improving the specific impulse from 930 to 1000 seconds.