Aug 052012
A 1963-vintage NASA illustration of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine. This is schematic only, depicting the main components of the nuclear engine. Not labeled are the two vernier thrusters; these take the otherwise wasted hydrogen exhaust from the turbopump and direct it more or less aft for some additional thrust. Further, they could, unlike the main engine, gimbal; this would provide a measure of thrust vectoring.
