I like the part where they say that MPD thrusters could take a month off travel time to Mars. The 1 megawatt version produces 100 Newton’s nowhere near what we need for launch. I’m guessing they plan on using solar to generate power or is nuclear a possibility.

The Russians claim a Low Flying Rocket Powered by a Small Nuclear Power Plant. So, if that thing is built, you might have something there.

kv

 

The Russians claim a Low Flying Rocket Powered by a Small Nuclear Power Plant. So, if that thing is built, you might have something there.

kv

We built one in the 60's for use in a weapon so it's possible.
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4356168
https://arstechnica.com/science/201...lear-powered-missile-is-possible-and-awful/3/

 

1 megawatt is not gonna be batteries... and that’s a lot of weight in solar panels. So it’s the only obvious choice. It would be best if it could be refueled with material that can be mined from mars... hydrogen isn’t an issue but I don’t know about lithium.

 

We built one in the 60's for use in a weapon so it's possible.
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4356168
https://arstechnica.com/science/201...lear-powered-missile-is-possible-and-awful/3/

In a nuclear ramjet, all the heat comes from the nuclear reactor itself; not even turbine blades get between the radioactive bits of the reactor and the rest of the atmosphere. The design is both frighteningly simple and just plain frightening, because ramjets are most effective at lower altitudes where the air is thick and needs the least compressing—and where they are more likely to result in radioactive particulate fallout that reaches the ground. In other words, you don't fly a nuclear ramjet cruise missile over friendly territory.

 

We can just shoot it out from Russia, or Southern Utah where it's Already been Nuked before.

kv

 

Did anyone ever watch that show "Space's Deepest Secrets" ?
How is it a secret if they know about it?
Have some respect for Space and dont watch it

 

Did anyone ever watch that show "Space's Deepest Secrets" ?
How is it a secret if they know about it?
Have some respect for Space and dont watch it

They made a show about the nothingness inside Kim Kardashian head?

 

Hey guys, I appreciate the humor but can we stay on topic... I like this subject.

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...ed-skyfall-nuclear-blast-190813025930755.html

Thousands of people have attended the funerals of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by an explosion as they tested a new rocket engine, a tragedy that caused a large increase of radiation and raised questions about a secretive weapons programme.

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...ed-skyfall-nuclear-blast-190813025930755.html

Wow that's nasty. This is what we have to put up with as humans in these 'modern' times.

 

Wow that's nasty. This is what we have to put up with as humans in these 'modern' times.

The risks might be acceptable if their lives were lost building something useful to all humans instead of a Potemkin weapon useful only on doomsday.

 

The risks might be acceptable if their lives were lost building something useful to all humans instead of a Potemkin weapon useful only on doomsday.

Amazing how much effort us humans invest on our own demise...

 

Amazing how much effort us humans invest on our own demise...

Insane.
"The best tribute to them will be our continued work on new models of weapons, which will definitely be carried out to the end," Likhachev was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

 

Insane.
"The best tribute to them will be our continued work on new models of weapons, which will definitely be carried out to the end," Likhachev was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

Ever read "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells?, well there's an excellent book by Stephen Baxter titled "The Time Ships" which is intended to be a sequel to that book. It deals on the destiny of mankind due to our fixation on cultural supremacy.

 

I have to attribute it to the different evolution of the different cultures and the lack of the ability of each to allow their opposites sovereignty. However, the opposites sovereignty often steps on the toes of their opposites and so conflict is unavoidable for the lack of complete and total destruction of the opposite as was the case in ancient times when things were actually settled.

 

Amazing how much effort us humans invest on our own demise...

Disheartening for sure, but it's quite possible that the same drive is what got us here in the first place. Though our tendency for combative and xenophobic behavior is ugly and counterproductive now, it may have been essential for us winning the hominid race for dominant species back a few million years ago.

 

Disheartening for sure, but it's quite possible that the same drive is what got us here in the first place. Though our tendency for combative and xenophobic behavior is ugly and counterproductive now, it may have been essential for us winning the hominid race for dominant species back a few million years ago.

Yeah how ironic
What mechanism got us here then destroys us. Typical animal behavior they dont realize they are eating all their prey and eventually starve to death.

 

We(USA) are going in the same direction now - "In 2019, the US Congress passed a bill to add a line item to the budget to direct NASA to expend US$100 million to re-initiate development of a nuclear thermal rocket propulsion system, with an aspirational goal of a test flight no earlier than 2024." There have been tests ongoing since 1955. From, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket#United_States

 

We(USA) are going in the same direction now - "In 2019, the US Congress passed a bill to add a line item to the budget to direct NASA to expend US$100 million to re-initiate development of a nuclear thermal rocket propulsion system, with an aspirational goal of a test flight no earlier than 2024." There have been tests ongoing since 1955. From, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket#United_States

If i remember right i think one of the problems in the past was what happens if something goes wrong during launch time. if the rocket crashes instead of making it all the way into space there could be nuclear waste just about anywhere on the planet depending on where it crashes. I just hope this never happens. Maybe launch it into space in a conventional way, then kick start it (fire it up, start the reaction) once it is actually in deep space.

 

Maybe launch it into space in a conventional way, then kick start it (fire it up, start the reaction) once it is actually in deep space.

If I understand the technology correctly, what we've been talking about is a type of nuclear ramjet. And that requires the presence of an atmosphere for it to work. Launching it into space wouldn't work.