21–30 of 89 posts
I expected a project-Orion-type interstellar solution. Not a measly ”twice as fast as conventional“ water kettle.
Also, no word about what they will acually use. Because classic uranium is a quite limited resource actually. It has been said to run out even before fossil fuels.
Also, why not a fusion rocket? Given that we know how to make fusion bombs. Because until we find a massive amount of anti-matter, this will be the next best thing for a loong time. The only limiting factor would be a human body's ability to withstand G forces.
How big is the added risk of toxic waste? I'm not sure how much waste is produced in relation to propulsion energy given but it must be quite small? And I imagine that during travel in space you could just dump that waste out into space considering the vastness of it all.
Whenever you're splitting Uranium atoms the results will tend to be radioactive. The results will build up in the fuel over time and eventually make the reactor stop working. Conventional reactors breed a bit of plutonium too as U238 captures neutrons but most aerospace reactors want to be as light as possible and so use highly enriched Uranium. So after your trip the engine will be quite radioactive but, as you poin…
There are elements with far more favorable decay paths. Short decay + using that decay too = pretty much a clean nuclear reactor.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m increasingly of the opinion that nuclear for space should be mined and built in space. Just launch the infrastructure needed to bootstrap the process.
Um, uh, um, uh...where to start? "Mined" from where? How?
Which apparently is an amazing power source.
Also, why fission? We do have working fusion reactors. They are called hydrogen bombs. (The outer part, at least.) As long as you can keep the G forces low ...
I’m disappointed. I expected a project-Orion-type interstellar solution. Not a measly ”twice as fast as conventional“ water kettle. Also, no word about what they will acually use. Because classic uranium is a quite limited resource actually. It has been said to run out even before fossil fuels. Also, why not a fusion rocket? Given that we know how to make fusion bombs. Because until we find a massive amount of anti-m…
They're using Low Enriched Uranium for this design. We have plenty of uranium (resources are huge, but no one bothers to prove them into reserves until the price is right), and not much is required for this project.
Don't be disappointed by the first step in a journey not taking you immediately to the destination.
it has to contain enough propellant to come back to Earth orbit to refuel the propellant coolant?
even if the core is throttled to its lowest levels, it will still produce heat in the vacuum of space? or will radiative cooling balance the remaining production of heat?
{
statusCode: 404,
error: "Not Found",
message: "Not Found"
}what happens at the end of such a trip, when the propellant is exhausted, and can no longer evaporatively cool the core? it has to contain enough propellant to come back to Earth orbit to refuel the propellant coolant? even if the core is throttled to its lowest levels, it will still produce heat in the vacuum of space? or will radiative cooling balance the remaining production of heat?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Whenever you're splitting Uranium atoms the results will tend to be radioactive. The results will build up in the fuel over time and eventually make the reactor stop working. Conventional reactors breed a bit of plutonium too as U238 captures neutrons but most aerospace reactors want to be as light as possible and so use highly enriched Uranium. So after your trip the engine will be quite radioactive but, as you poin…
I’m increasingly of the opinion that nuclear for space should be mined and built in space. Just launch the infrastructure needed to bootstrap the process.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Whenever you're splitting Uranium atoms the results will tend to be radioactive. The results will build up in the fuel over time and eventually make the reactor stop working. Conventional reactors breed a bit of plutonium too as U238 captures neutrons but most aerospace reactors want to be as light as possible and so use highly enriched Uranium. So after your trip the engine will be quite radioactive but, as you poin…
Who said anything about uranium? There are elements with far more favorable decay paths. Short decay + using that decay too = pretty much a clean nuclear reactor.