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The Saturn C-5N was basically a Saturn 5 with a NERVA upper stage. It got cancelled in ‘72 due to both NASA scaling down its ambitions ( it was designed as a key component of a Mars mission) and concern about nuclear anything.

So, lets assume that, at some point before that, at least one C-5N is launched into orbit, and it works without major problems. We’ll still assume that NASA gives up on Mars for the time being, and their budget still drops off sharply (just look up their budget on wikipedia and you’ll see what I’m talking about, the chart is very striking). So, basically, its up there in orbit from when NASA had bigger ambitions, and now they have to find a use for it.

What uses might it have?

How might it change the space programs going forward? Feel free to approach from both the perspective that this is the only nuclear thermal rocket launched to the present, or that its success encourages others.

One idea, depending on just how durable this thing proves to be, is to use it as a tug for various on programs. If it is launched during the moon missions, NASA might use it for one of them (hopefully not 13, though at least if anything went wrong, it wouldn’t have been due to mixing tanks).
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