Propulsion energy and technology for future generation ships

Ascertain the propulsion energy sources and propulsion technology that will be employed by future generation ships so that onboard radiation risk and nuclear-incident scenarios can be realistically specified in population-genetic simulations such as HERITAGE.

Background

To paper a Chernobyl-like incident onboard a generation ship, the authors must assume a propulsion energy source and technology, which influence plausible accident modes and radiation release profiles.

They explicitly state that the propulsion energy and technology of future generation ships are unknown and therefore proceed by postulating nuclear reactors based on current technology. Identifying likely propulsion systems would enable more realistic hazard modeling.