Greg2003

Yes, I saw that article just now on bad astronomy. But NASA is also being very tightlipped about exactly what is happening. So we'll have to wait and see what actually comes of this.

I just find it suspicious that Bush suddenly wants to fund NASA now that they have a project involving nuclear power.

Mageth

I just find it suspicious that Bush suddenly wants to fund NASA now that they have a project involving nuclear power.

This isn't the first project NASA has had involving nuclear power. Note the controversy over the launch of the Cassini project a few years back.

On the other hand, this whole thing is almost certainly an excuse for the USA to build up its stockpile of nuclear weapons grade uranium and plutonium, and to get us dependant on nuclear power.

I don't see how developing small reactor-based propulsion systems would assist us in building up our stockpile of nuclear weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, or get us dependant on nuclear power (which is something I'm pretty sure Bush is not aiming for...he's shown little concern for alternative energy sources, and he'd piss off the oil companines).

I think it's more likely that Bush sees this as an opportunity to make a name for himself by being the President that got us to Mars.

elwoodblues

First, nuke pushing isn't generally used for launch in these plans.

Second, even if it was, and something 'went wrong', it wouldn't set off the rest of the fuel unless the damned thing were engineered by a blind, retarded, psychotic monkey. It'd be a dirty explosion, yes, but it certainly wouldn't 'set off' the rest of the bombs.

Most any reasonable method of interplanetary or interstellar transportation is going to involve a 'weapon of mass destruction', simply because huge amounts of energy will almost necessarily be involved. Nuclear power is a WMD. Matter-antimatter reaction would be considered a WMD if anyone had more than a gram. Laser-based solar sails involve a huge damned laser. And, incidentally, basic rocket science is married to ICBM technology.

The only non-WMD techs out there right now are traditional rockets, solar-based solar sails, and ion engines. The first is expensive as hell and the technology has been thoroughly explored, the second still has massive engineering problems, and the third is only viable for very slow missions because of the low thrust rate.

eldar1011

Wow, I remember reading about just such a ship in Pournelle and Niven's "Footfall".

It never occurred to me that the ship was based in a real-life proposal. A little insane, indeed.

elwoodblues

It hardly needs mentioning that strapping yourself to the top of tons of volatile chemicals and lighting it off to propel yourself into orbit was once considered rather more than a little insane.

eldar1011

Point taken. Good one.

Shake

Some such ideas have been espoused in various science fiction writings over the years. What you need to watch is for ideas from some of the writers with a good science base. Dad was always telling me about an idea by Arthur C. Clarke (I believe) about getting stuff into space using elevator-type principles.

Is there any evidence of fissible materials on the moon? If so, build some plants there to refine material for such rockets, and then you don't have the worry of sending such material up from the Earth's surface in a rocket.

Actually, another option to propel payloads from the moon's surface would be to use electromagnetic propulsion. Set up a long "runway" with a ramp at the end, and use the same kind of technology used in the bullet trains. With the lower gravity and nearly-zero "air" resistance, high speeds could conceiveably be achieved, without spending any real fuel. Just a few ideas from someone who is by no means an astroscientist.

Alludium Fozdex

One form a nuclear-propelled rocket could take is one in which a reactor is used to heat liquid hydrogen to a plasma state, contain the plasma in a magnetic bottle, let the pressure build up, open the bottle a bit, and ZOOOOOOM off to Mars you go.

IIRC, the Russians had a prototype for this called Topaz; the US version was called Timberwind.

elwoodblues

Beanstalks/space-elevators have been kicked around for decades. I think Clarke uses them in his writing, and I know Heinlein uses them extensively in Friday.

Here's some information on them.

beanstalk

Greg2003

To my recollection there weren't any blind retarded monkeys involved in the Challenger disaster when all of its fuel exploded.

Otherwise, your points are well taken. I assumed, before reading the stuff in bad astronomy, that this was all about reviving the Orion project approach, which did contemplate using nukes in the launch phase.