NASA S FUTURE GOALS REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES WHICH CAN EXPAND HUMAN PRESENCE BEYOND LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) AND INTO THE SOLAR SYSTEM [TO] ADVANCE EXPLORATION SCIENCE INNOVATION BENEFITS TO HUMANITY AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION" [1]. AS A PART OF FULFILLING THIS OBJECTIVE NASA PLANS TO CONDUCT MANNED DEEP SPACE MISSIONS IN THE 2030S. THROUGH THE USE OF A HYDROGEN PROPELLANT NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION (NTP) IS A NON-CHEMICAL PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY CAPABLE OF HIGH SPECIFIC IMPULSE (850 - 900 S) AND REASONABLY THRUST (100 1 100 KN) ALLOWING FOR REDUCED TRIP TIMES FOR CREWED MISSIONS TO BEYOND LEO. NEUTRONIC ANALYSES HAVE PREDICTED THAT LOW ENRICHED URANIUM (LEU) FUELED NUCLEAR THERMAL ROCKETS (NTRS) WITH<20% 235U ENRICHMENT CAN BE DESIGNED BASED UPON LEGACY FUEL SYSTEMS AND ALLOW FOR COMPARABLE PERFORMANCE TO HIGH ENRICHED URANIUM (HEU) ALTERNATIVES [2]. LEU ENGINE DESIGNS ARE EXPECTED TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE HIGH MAINTENANCE COST AND PERCEIVED POLITICAL HURDLES OF DEVELOPING NTP SYSTEMS TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH HEU FUEL SYSTEMS. THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF A LEU ENGINE REQUIRES THE AFFORDABLE PRODUCTION AND QUALIFICATION OF A FUEL FORM WHICH ALLOWS FOR OPERATION IN EXCESS OF 2500 K RESISTS INTERACTION WITH THE HYDROGEN PROPELLANT AND HAS THE NUCLEAR PROPERTIES TO ENABLE ENGINE CRITICALITY WITH REDUCED URANIUM ENRICHMENT.