Saturn MLV-V-3 NERVA 1

Modified Launch Vehicle V-3 NERVA

Mission Profile

Saturn MLV-V-3 NERVA 1 was a 1960s NASA concept for a modified Saturn V incorporating a Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application upper stage as part of the Apollo Applications Program. The four-stage vehicle would have used nuclear thermal propulsion to dramatically extend mission capabilities for deep space exploration. Standing 111 meters tall, it represented one of the most ambitious propulsion concepts of the Space Age but was never funded for development.