Ternayev looked delighted. "I have had similar thought, but using smaller Zenit 3, and lifting heavier load, or same load to higher orbit. Remember, Buran maneuvering engines were also orbital insertion engines. The only successful launch required the Buran to do a 66 m/s burn to get into final orbit. I have been considering ways to make that burn unnecessary.
"What I have been considering is using Zenit 3 as strap-on. This is almost the same as the original strap-on, but is three-stage. First stage is RD-171, second is RD-120, and third is RD-58M in a Blok-DM upper stage, With the added upper stages to supplement the core stage's main engine, there should easily be enough extra boost to lift the Buran into a trans-lunar insertion orbit without use of the maneuvering engine, though I am unsure about also lifting the core stage." He laughed again. "But you wish to turn a 1980's orbiter into a true interplanetary ship, like in science fiction. I will research it, but do not count on it.
"Also," he continued, "it will be expensive. The four Zenit-3's will probably cost about 60 million U.S. each. He sobered. "There is also the fact that it is unwise to put men into an untested ship, with untested engine combinations."
Frank nodded. "I know. I've brought it up to David, and the volunteers he's screening for his crew, and they are all willing to sign waivers. As I keep telling people, we're not NASA. Hell, the damned thing might blow up on the pad and kill us all. But if it works . . ."
"Yes," Ternayev replied. "If it works, it will be a dream."
***
There is a UN treaty declaring a ban on the use of nuclear energy in space. Its stated purpose is to prevent the deployment of nuclear weapons into space, and to protect the people of Earth from the results of an accident. Though it is largely ignored by The U.S. and Russia when militarily convenient, both piously proclaim their support for it at every opportunity, and rigidly enforce the ban on any smaller nation that dares consider the use of a reactor in space. As a result, most civilian spacecraft, even Russian and American ones, use batteries and solar cells instead of nuclear power.
But all concerned had agreed that a three-year mission could not be adequately supported by solar cells and batteries, especially a mission using constant-drive ion engines, and going out past Mars. Frank's crew of planners had agreed that only a small nuclear reactor could meet their needs. Small reactors are both possible and practical, though not usually available. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union pursued the idea of a nuclear-powered aircraft in the 1950's and '60's. Both had produced small reactors capable of being carried on a bomber; the insoluble problem that had caused both nations to abandon the projects was the weight of the shielding required to protect the crew.
Dr. Ternayev refused to discuss how he knew it, but he insisted that the shielding problem was not insoluble aboard a spacecraft. He suggested that lead shielding would be necessary only on the side of the reactor facing the ship, and that a smaller piece of movable lead could be used to shield a crewmember required to service the reactor.
After much soul-searching, Frank decided to contact the underground organization once led by a Pakistani physicist that was known to be designing nuclear facilities for rogue nations unable to obtain them legitimately.
Dealing with criminals and fanatics disgusted Frank even more than the bribery in Kazakhstan had. Nevertheless, everyone agreed that the reactor would be necessary, and would be unavailable through "normal" channels.
Thankfully, nearly all the arrangements were completed by agents on both sides, and Frank did not have to personally deal with someone he considered a renegade and possible terrorist. That didn't make him feel any better, though.
"They say they will be able to provide what you want. According to them, a ten-megawatt reactor will be quite small, and will require only a few kilos of Uranium-238, which they can also obtain for you. Payment in gold or diamonds will be required," his anonymous contact told him. The price he quoted seemed quite high, but given the circumstances, Frank decided it was probably not unreasonable. He agreed. Then he spent nearly an hour in the shower. But he still felt dirty.
The security around Alcântara caused some problems, but finally a woman dressed all in black descended from a fishing boat on the shore of the Baia de Säo Marcos. She was met by Anton Ternayev, David Tarrant, and a working party of Brazilians with a large hand cart.
The woman accompanied them to the engine assembly facility, a fairly small ferrocement building identical to a dozen others. She said, "No name" when David asked her for one, so from then on, he called her "Dr. Noname" to her great amusement. Her accent in English led David to conclude she was eastern European.
Once the Brazilian working party had left, she opened the medium-sized crate
The reactor was actually only about two feet square, and roughly cylindrical in shape, but judging by the effort that the Brazilians had expended to lift it, it was quite heavy.
Ternayev explained that they planned to mount the reactor at the rear of the ship, nestled among the ion engines. They hoped that the ion engines' exhaust would help conceal the nuclear emissions, and at the same time propel the alpha and beta particles away from the ship.
The woman appeared lost in thought for nearly a minute. "Possibly," she said finally. "Alpha and Beta particles are moving very fast, but there may be a slight effect. Not on the gamma radiation, of course. But the ion engines' exhaust may help conceal the nuclear emissions, or at least confuse radiation detectors. I cannot say for certain." She handed Ternayev a flash drive. "On here are all installation and operating instructions for the reactor. I recommend you not try to fuel the reactor in space. You should fuel it before launch, but not move the fuel into fission position until well away from detection range of existing spacecraft."
She turned to leave, and then turned around and waved at the metal box that had taken the entire Brazilian working party to move. "The fuel, of course, is in that lead box. The reactor is the very best we could design, and we are certain it will function correctly. It is a new version of the Advanced Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor, called the 'Energy Multiplier Module.' It uses a composite of silicon carbide cladding, and a beryllium oxide neutron reflector. This permits you to use mostly what is called "nuclear waste" uranium. We support you and your goals. We wish you very good luck." She turned without giving them a chance to reply, and slipped into the night.
"They recommend putting a hexagon of 6-inch lead shielding about a meter across between the reactor and the ship," Ternayev told Frank and David the next day. "That should be no real problem. One of the engine crew suggested we make the shielding cup-shaped, to protect the ion engines, and that sounds wise, though I am concerned about the added mass. We'll install the reactor in the center of the rear of the ship, surrounded by the ion engines. It's a heat-exchanger design, so the steam spinning the generator turbine won't be irradiated. You'll be able to repair or replace the turbine without irradiating the ship. "
He laughed. "Once we run it through the heat exchanger, the transfer fluid can just be routed outside the hull, into the absolute zero of space for a few inches to cool before routing back to the reactor. It really is an elegant design. Dr. Noname said they did their best work on it, and support us and our goals."
Frank shook his head. "Great. We have the support of the terrorist and fanatic community. Just what I wanted to hear. Oh, well. I guess we have what we wanted. But I sure can't feel good about it."
But getting the ships space worthy was not the only problem. Susan entered Frank's office to retrieve a file, and overheard part of a discussion between Frank and David. They were discussing how to deal with human waste.