Related to your article (11 nov 2009), "Russia to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft for Mars mission" : 
 Perhaps, it would be interesting and useful to investigate also other technologies for spacecraft propulsion, as an alternative to classic rocket engine technology.
 Some famous experiments like those of Thomas Townsend Brown proved the electrostatic energy could generate thrust, even in vacuum space, and this effect could be amplified by using asymmetric capacitors (Frolov).
 Other important results from the study of superconductor materials (e.g. Podlednikov, Abrikosov) gives us good hope to apply such knowledge for future spacecraft propulsion.