JPL Interstellar Precursor

[Orionblamblam]

The first of the "Thousand Astronomical Unit" space probes designed from the late 70's into the 80's. Nuclear electric propulsion would send the craft on a fifty-year mission into interplanetary space to test technologies for a future true interstellar mission, for deep-space science and to map the distant stars. Artwork I've created for US Spacecraft Projects issue #05.

 

[Michel Van]

magnificent work !

 

[Grey Havoc]

On a related note, from 1963, JPL's "Electric Space Cruiser for High-Energy Missions":
https://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19630011468/

Nuclear-electric propulsion system using saturn 1-b booster chain for unmanned space exploration of solar system

 

[FighterJock]

On a related note, from 1963, JPL's "Electric Space Cruiser for High-Energy Missions":
https://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19630011468/

Nuclear-electric propulsion system using saturn 1-b booster chain for unmanned space exploration of solar system

An interesting find Grey Havoc, first time that I have seen anything like that before.