NASA: nuclear space propulsion gets a "GO"....

[Dr Mordrid]

This would take the round trip time to Mars down from 2-3 years to a few months.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nuclear_power_030117.html

The most modern design would be the VASIMR nuclear-electric propulsion system;

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/mars/technology/propulsion/aspl/vasimr.html

although there was success with the research done on nuclear-thermodynamic rockets back in the 50's and 60's;

http://area51specialprojects.org/images/NERVA/NRXestLarge.jpg

Dr. Mordrid

[thop]

space: the final frontier ...

[drslump]

We should first explore the oceans and the mind more deeply, I'm sure we have still lots of things to learn.
I'll not like to much if some aliens come to my planet in a crappy u.f.o. and by their mistake the planet becomes contaminated by irradianting substances.

[Technoid]

Re: NASA: nuclear space propulsion gets a "GO"....

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
This would take the round trip time to Mars down from 2-3 years to a few months.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nuclear_power_030117.html

The most modern design would be the VASIMR nuclear-electric propulsion system;

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/mars/technology/propulsion/aspl/vasimr.html

although there was success with the research done on nuclear-thermodynamic rockets back in the 50's and 60's;

http://area51specialprojects.org/images/NERVA/NRXestLarge.jpg

Dr. Mordrid

Great!

"To infinity, AND BEOYND"

[KRSESQ]

We should first explore the oceans and the mind more deeply, I'm sure we have still lots of things to learn.

Ideally we should be doing both. For practical purposes it would be equally difficult and very nearly equally expensive.

Kevin

[cjolley]

I read an article in Air and Space Magazine a long time ago about nucear powered ram-jet engines in the 40's and 50's.
This is about all I could find about it just now though.

http://www.ufx.org/nepa/nepa.htm

chuck

PS I found the reference:
The Flying Crowbar, by Gregg Herkin, illustrations by Paul Demarre , from Air & Space Magazine, April 1990, Volume 5, No1, P.28

[cjolley]

here's more

http://www.merkle.com/pluto/pluto.html

http://www.nv.doe.gov/news&pubs/publications/historyreports/news&views/pluto.htm

http://www.kschroeder.com/1022612962/1023825980/addPostingForm

http://me.eng.sunysb.edu/mec290/projectpluto/index.html

chuck

[Jon P. Inghram]

I remember seeing some TV show about that thing, pretty cool stuff! The movies of it running were pretty impressive, although I think it defininatly fits into the "Sounded cool at first, but WTF were we thinking?" category.

[K6-III]

The main things that we should be looking for are space-capable nuclear reactors and improved RTG's for space probes...

[GT98]

Originally posted by cjolley
I read an article in Air and Space Magazine a long time ago about nucear powered ram-jet engines in the 40's and 50's.
This is about all I could find about it just now though.

http://www.ufx.org/nepa/nepa.htm

chuck

PS I found the reference:
The Flying Crowbar, by Gregg Herkin, illustrations by Paul Demarre , from Air & Space Magazine, April 1990, Volume 5, No1, P.28

Yeah spit out raditation and flying at Mach 7 near the ground would have killed everything with its shock wave

[GT98]

One other thing....dont mind using Nukes for propuliton in space, but what the hell are they gonna do if the rocket malfuctions getting into space? Messy

[K6-III]

You launch the reactor on a heavy lift booster unfueled.

You launch the fuel sepearately in indestructible metal caskets designed to withstand and explosion and impact into the sea to fuel the reactor on orbit, using a robot. In the worst case scenario, you have to recover the metal casket from the bottom of the sea....

[Dr Mordrid]

Don't forget the new reactor designs that use ceramic pellets instead of rods of high grade material. Even with no coolant they don't melt and the containers can survive cannon fire.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jon P. Inghram]

Read this PDF to learn more about RTG's. They're not likely to cause a problem under any plausable situation.