I agree that we should not be held hostage to uninformed public opinion, but I feel that we effectively are being held hostage by it. As you mention, the publi

I agree that we should not be held hostage to uninformed public opinion, but I feel that we effectively are being held hostage by it. As you mention, the public can't even tell the difference between an RTG and a reactor and while that doesn't stop flagship missions like Perseverance, it does limit how innovative NASA can be with the use of nuclear technology in space. NASA and the DoD do have the plan to test a nuclear thermal rocket, but it's in such an early stage that much of the public isn't even aware of it. I'm certain there will be much more backlash from the uninformed masses as the program approaches the point of testing in space, and I'm not at all confident that it won't be cancelled as a result. Hell, with how low the standards are with Congresspeople, I wouldn't be surprised if the program is shut down by them for similar reasons, without much public involvement.