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Project Orion

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Re: Project Orion

#31

Post by hermitcrab »

antondd wrote: post #5
dang wrote: post #2

Related: Interstellar nuclear-powered transport (1968) [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28132756 - Aug 2021 (34 comments) - thanks antondd! Orion Project [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22691219 - March 2020 (1 comment) Nuclear Pulse Propulsion – Orion and Beyond (2000) [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12705705 - Oct 2016 (99 comments) Project Orion (nuclear propulsion) - https://…

Interstellar nuclear-powered transport (1968) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28132756 - Aug 2021 (34 comments) There are a few more, under different titles. I remember reading Dyson’s autobiography a couple of years ago and he mentioned his involvement in the research. Absolutely amazing stuff.

I watched all 157 of these: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVV0r6CmEsFzDA6mtmKQE... Really interesting.

I spoke to him once at a book signing and asked him about Orion. In summary he said: would it have worked - probably, should it be done - probably not. Although he did make the point that pretty much every big engineering project kills people.

Re: Project Orion

#33

Post by vhodges »

marktangotango wrote: post #8

There was a classic science fiction story with a twist on this idea; a low tech species was about to be discovered by a more advanced species. And according to the rules of the more advanced species, any planet that wasn't capable of space travel would become a client or vassal, and a planet with space travel would be seen as a peer. The protagonist built a pusher style rocket using an explosive, and launched the lig…

replying to all... The story you're thinking of is King Davids Spaceship by Jerry Pournelle. It IS a co-dominion story (so same universe as The Mote in Gods Eye w/Larry Niven)

A few other uses of Orion in fiction that I am aware of:

The Ship 'Michael' (as in avenging angel) from Footfall (Again by Niven and Pournelle).

And the ship from Orion shall rise by Paul Anderson.

A CBC Miniseries featuring a (faked) Orion derived interstellar ark supposedly launched in the 60's and the people that have been living on it for almost 40 years.

Re: Project Orion

#35

Post by atoav »

st_goliath wrote: post #6

An other quite interesting concept (also a little less "out there" and actually, successfully tested) is the NERVA engine, also linked at the bottom of the article[1]. It uses a nuclear reactor to heat up a single propellant (liquid hydrogen) which then rapidly expands as it goes out the nozzle at the end, resulting in quite high specific impulse and is more efficient than a chemical rocket. If we want to go really f…

The nuclear salt reactor one is the answer to the question: "How can we make rocket engine testing more dangerous."

Re: Project Orion

#37

Post by galacticaactual »

ShakataGaNai wrote: post #20

There is a Kerbal Space Program mod [1] that adds this to the game. It is hysterically fun to use because it is insanely unbalanced compared to normal space flight requirements. Want to change your orbit 180deg and fly backwards? No problem. Goto any planet the "direct" route? Sure, why not. Take off from the launch pad so fast you'll think the game broke? Not a problem - The Kerbal's don't worry about a little fallo…

So there are ways to make this interesting in the game and bring it back to balance. Some recommendations:

- The USI pulse nukes are expensive. Play on career mode so you are cash constrained and have to rigorously plan for their build, use, and refueling.

- Roleplay not using them anywhere near low home-planet orbit for fallout reasons. I.e. the ship is built and is parked in a shipyard in Cislunar space and kerbonauts must ride an intermediary shuttle vessel to crew it.

- Use a life support pack and planet mods that add interplanetary destinations. Having your kerbonauts on a nuke ship around an extrasolar planetary body far away from home with limited supplies will add plenty to the mix.

Re: Project Orion

#38

Post by BitwiseFool »

ShakataGaNai wrote: post #20

There is a Kerbal Space Program mod [1] that adds this to the game. It is hysterically fun to use because it is insanely unbalanced compared to normal space flight requirements. Want to change your orbit 180deg and fly backwards? No problem. Goto any planet the "direct" route? Sure, why not. Take off from the launch pad so fast you'll think the game broke? Not a problem - The Kerbal's don't worry about a little fallo…

This was supposed to be in Kerbal Space Program 2, and you can see an early version of it in some of the promotional materials. Time will tell when it makes its way into the game.

Re: Project Orion

#39

Post by hermitcrab »

ianburrell wrote: post #12

Project Orion is a really bad idea. I guess it could be a good idea in specific situation where have to get a lot of mass off the planet and don't care about the effects. Problem one is that detonating a series of nuclear bombs in the atmosphere. The first couple are close to the ground and produce local fallout, the higher ones produce global fallout. Problem two is that detonating nuclear bombs in space causes EMP.…

IIRC the estimate was that the extra radiation from a launch would kills tens of people per launch, not thousands. Still not great (especially if you are one of those victims), but not as much as you might expect.

Re: Project Orion

#40

Post by variaga »

Arrath wrote: post #13
marktangotango wrote: post #8

There was a classic science fiction story with a twist on this idea; a low tech species was about to be discovered by a more advanced species. And according to the rules of the more advanced species, any planet that wasn't capable of space travel would become a client or vassal, and a planet with space travel would be seen as a peer. The protagonist built a pusher style rocket using an explosive, and launched the lig…

I very much have a soft spot for Footfall. Sending up a battleship kludged into an Orion style ship to battle alien invaders is just so cool.

I haven't read that book in 30 years, but the description of experiencing the launch from inside the craft was so succinct and evocative I still think about it from time to time.

"God was knocking and he wanted in bad."

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