1960's spacecraft propulsion Orion project Options

[dvandorn]

I have a funny feeling that a "nearby" hypernova would first make itself known by how our upper atmosphere would flouresce so entertainingly -- as it blew off into space.

Not much time, in those cases, to re-route the entire industrial output of every nation to create an ark that would be able to save only a tiny fraction. Even if people could do such a thing, I dunno that there would be time.

-the other Doug

[nprev]

Well, the scenario I had in mind was the detection in the UV or IR bands of a dust or gas-occluded Eta-Carinae-type star that was maybe a hundred years from going blooey. Certainly there wouldn't be any time at all to build an Orion-type colony ship if the first warning we got was about three seconds of a pretty light show on the night side of the Earth before we all vaporize...

[lyford]

At least it's kind of comforting to know that Orion technology is practical in a dire emergency...

Well, not if the only plans around are the declassified "redacted" US versions.

[nprev]

...yeah, I saw that! Talk about marker-happy...

BTW, just to amplify my point, what if WISE finds an unpleasant surprise?

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006-130

[tty]

Well, not if the only plans around are the declassified "redacted" US versions.

Since according to Dyson's book some of the technological legacies of the Orion project included techniques for making nuclear charges with amounts of fissile materials normally considered subcritical as well as a method to carry out undetectable nuclear tests I can understad that parts are still classified.

tty

[tuvas]

I once did I research project about this, some time ago, I think the location is http://www.u.arizona.edu/~tuvas/, yep, that's the one. They were very serious about this kind of stuff. I first got into it when I heard about VASMIR rockets, and decided to look up on the net about them. I ran into a group by the name of Project Orion, they were cool. When I first heard them talk about Orion, I thought they were crazy... I found out later that this group was planning originally to build a fully functional Orion spacecraft, and use it as some kind of a museum on Earth until they could get the nukes to launch it. Just a few comments:

The 10%c orion is only acheivable when using H-bombs for detination. When your talking about bombs of that size, however, you want to have a very large spacecraft. The acceleration also is quite slow.

There exist several variations, which involve putting together a spacecraft much in the manner of the ISS, and using it in space.

Most of the nuclear bombs that countries have would be unsuitable for Orion. For an Orion rocket, you wan the blast to be shaped like a straw. For a weapon, you want the blast to be shaped like a pancake. Each will do it's job in the best way.

There's a book that Ted Taylor wrote, I don't know the name of it, but you might look into it. I think there's one written about Dyson by a third party, about him and his son, who built a very large canoe. It's been some time since I've read up on this stuff, however, so, I've forgotten the names... Still, they are fascinating books. Ted Taylorand Freeman Dyson were really incredible people, very much thinking outside the box.

[DEChengst]

The BBC did a great documentary about Project Orion. It's called "To Mars by A-bomb" and was broadcasted for the first time 2003 on BBC 4. The BBC webpage says the last time they broadcasted it was 08-FEB-2006. So it may be worth to keep checking the BBC webpage to see if they'll broadcast it again:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries...rs-a-bomb.shtml

This is actual test footage of a high-explosive Orion test:

http://paranoid.dechengst.nl/orion/oriontest.avi

[tuvas]

This is actual test footage of a high-explosive Orion test:

http://paranoid.dechengst.nl/orion/oriontest.avi

I like the video, I used it in my presentations I gave on Orion, it was really cool!

[mchan]

There's a book that Ted Taylor wrote, I don't know the name of it, but you might look into it.

I am not aware of a book written by Ted Taylor that was actually published. He was known to be writing a book before he died. You may be thinking of "The Curve of Binding Energy" which has a lot of nuclear anecdotes centered around Ted Taylor.

[DEChengst]

I am not aware of a book written by Ted Taylor that was actually published.

Don't know about an Orion book by Ted Taylor either, but I just watched the BBC Orion documentary again and Dyson's son did write a book about Orion:

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Orion-Story-...TF8&s=books

[tuvas]

I am not aware of a book written by Ted Taylor that was actually published. He was known to be writing a book before he died. You may be thinking of "The Curve of Binding Energy" which has a lot of nuclear anecdotes centered around Ted Taylor.

That must be it then, the curve of binding energy... Like I said, it's been a while, all I remember was reading a book with alot of references to him...