Russia tested its astronaut nuclear engine

According to Skolkovo Innovation Center, which is dubbed Russia's "Silicon Valley", the country has begun testing the use of nuclear fuel in space rocket engines.

"This project has entered the official phase with some of the fuel being tested , " Denis Kovalevich, head of the Skolkovo Foundation's nuclear technology group, told Interfax.

According to him, the purpose of using nuclear fuel is to serve interplanetary journeys and work being carried out according to the roadmap. A fully Russian-designed nuclear engine is expected to be tested in 2014 and will be available in 2017.

Kovalevich added Roscosmos, the agency (the Russian universe), initiated the project, allocating about 805 million rupees (about $ 27 million) for the project.

The nuclear-powered engine is designed to serve within three years without supplies and will equip rocket launchers launched by Russia's Proton and Angara.