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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Chit Chat _ Russia to restart work on nuclear propulsion?

Posted by: Paolo Jan 20 2010, 06:47 AM

not identified as nuclear thermal or nuclear electric
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2010/01/russia-plans-2015-tests-under.html
http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Russia_explores_atomic_space_engine_999.html

Posted by: Greg Hullender Jan 20 2010, 12:12 PM

Wake me up if it turns out to be Orion.

--Greg (Yikes! It's 4:11 AM) :-)

Posted by: tasp Jan 20 2010, 01:31 PM

There was mention some years back of a device that directly utilized the kinetic energy of the fissioning fuel for thrust, seems like that one was pretty unworkable. Wish I recalled more of the details. Like maybe a uranium foil was blipped with N, and the fission products spalled off the back
of the foil. Exhaust velocity was enormous, but the net thrust was extremely low.

Recall Dyson's (son) assertion of how many possible thrust technologies there might be.

That article sure left out many details.

Posted by: ups Jan 22 2010, 10:14 PM

QUOTE (Greg Hullender @ Jan 20 2010, 12:12 PM)

Wake me up if it turns out to be Orion.

--Greg (Yikes! It's 4:11 AM) :-)

You'll hear the rumble.