After almost a 60-year break, NASA has decided to refocus their attempts on using nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) as a more efficient way to advance space exploration. The NTP process uses uranium to heat hydrogen to create thrust. This process is more efficient than conventional rocket engines. NASA’s research has restarted with the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). The TREAT reactor is used to test different fuels for NTP. The TREAT reactor can rapidly heat the fuel to test NTP engine startup. The objective is to design, build, and test a canister for the TREAT reactor. The canister is inside the SIRIUS (an acronym with no meaning) module. The SIRIUS module will provide the hydrogen to the canister. The SIRIUS module will be inside Big BUSTER (Broad Use Specimen Transient Experiment Rig), which goes into the TREAT reactor. The canister holds uranium in the center of the canister that will heat the hydrogen flow to test the different fuels. 

The design choices were based around the fuel and hydrogen in the canister. The materials used for the canister is tungsten and zirconium carbide to ensure it will not fail at high temperatures. The tungsten can withstand the high temperatures and the zirconium carbide keeps the hydrogen from sticking to the canister. There are multiple small flow channels allows for a high and constant flow rate of hydrogen through the canister. 

To test the canister, a heating device is placed inside our experimental canister. This allows for a small-scale simulation of a nuclear heating without using dangerous and unobtainable materials. Argon will function as liquid hydrogen due to its ease of use and availability. Thermocouples will measure the temperature difference and allow for calculations to be made to relate the results from testing to a full-scale test that will be done by NASA.