Accessing Icy World Oceans Using Lattice Confinement Fusion Fast Fission https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2023/Accessing_Icy_World_Oceans/
quote Icy World researchers have proposed using a nuclear powered, heated probe. However, rather than require either the plutonium-238 radioisotope heat source or an enriched uranium-235 fission reactor, with significant launch safety costs, we propose making use of the recent Lattice Confinement Fusion source used to efficiently fast-fission either depleted uranium or thorium in a molten lithium matrix. The resulting hybrid fusion fast fission nuclear reactor will be smaller than a traditional fission reactor where a lower mass power source is needed and provide efficient operation with thermal waste heat from reactor heats probe to melt through ice shelf to sub-ice oceans.
