VULCAN CENTAUR INPS

Vulcan Centaur INPS (Interplanetary Nuclear Pulse Stage) is a conceptual upper stage proposed in the early 2000s for high-energy deep space missions. The stage was imagined as an additional module mounted above the Vulcan Centaur rocket, designed to provide very large impulse burns after the spacecraft reached low Earth orbit. The main goal of the concept was to shorten travel time to the Moon, outer planets, and distant solar system targets.

The concept is often described as being inspired by advanced propulsion research and is sometimes loosely associated with technology studies from organizations such as DARPA and launch system work connected to United Launch Alliance

Despite its ambitious performance goals, Vulcan Centaur INPS never moved beyond the concept stage. Technical difficulty, safety regulations, and high development cost prevented further progress. It remains a theoretical example of an extreme high-energy propulsion architecture for future deep space missions

INPS

INPS (Interplanetary Nuclear Pulse Stage) is a conceptual high-energy propulsion stage designed for deep-space missions that require very large velocity changes in a short time. The system operates using a sequence of controlled pulse thrust events rather than a single continuous burn, allowing the vehicle to gain significant speed through repeated impulse cycles. This approach is intended for post-orbit operations such as rapid transfer trajectories, outer planet missions, and heavy payload injection beyond Earth orbit.

Technical Specifications:

Launch Vehicle: ULA Vulcan Centaur (Heavy Configuration)
Propulsion System: Controlled Nuclear Pulse Thrust (External Pulsed Plasma)
Mission Profile: Rapid transit to Outer Planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn)
Payload max=30 ton

Activision Group

AG3=LAUNCH AUTO
AG2= OPEN FAIRING
AG14=START INPS
AG13= INPS SEPARATION
AG11=CENTAUR Separation
AG5= SRB Separation
empty AG(6,7,8,9,16)
Don't Touch this AG
(1,4,12)

Note

Manual gravity turn
Very difficult to control during burn
maneuver

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