On 5/4/2010 8:55 AM, wrote:
Given the desire to use nuclear propulsion for deep space exploration
(i.e. VASIMR, Mars 1986, Mars 1994, etc.), but the danger of
uncontrolled re-entry of radioactive materials ( see Cosmos 954),
maybe all nuclear reactors in LEO should be put there by manned
vehicles, reside on manned platforms, and be manually controllable.
Always having a "man-in-the-loop" provides the same type of additional
safety margin that pilots give to commercial planes.

Then you run into the problem of protecting the crew associated with it
from the radiation of the reactor.
You may already know about it, but there's a lot of detail on the Soviet
space reactor such as was used on Cosmos 954 he
http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/trackind/RORSAT/RORSAT.html

Pat