Project Orion - 10% of teh speed of light

[crookeddy]

Has anyone here looked into this idea?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29
Is it now too far forgotten to ever be produced?

 

[watermelony2k]

there was a followup to project orion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus

 

[syc]

crookeddy said:
Has anyone here looked into this idea?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29
Is it now too far forgotten to ever be produced?

Too far forgotten? I don't think so, I believe most in the science and propulsion community are aware of theoreticals like these.(Orion or Daedalus)

I think the problem is the whole Theoretical aspect of them. Daedalus is FAR more... "political" then Orion, the nuclear "Bomb" thing might get the publics panties in a bunch. I mean if they don't even like RTG's launched into space, how would they feel about a spacecraft carrying hundreds if not thousands of nuclear bombs?

Daedalus on the other hand just has technological hurdles to overcome for it to be a possibility.

 

[Santaman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA

^^ Aaaand another nuclear engine from the past.

 

[JustAFriend]

crookeddy said:
Has anyone here looked into this idea?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29
Is it now too far forgotten to ever be produced?

Go to the bookstore.

Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship (Paperback)
by George Dyson

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Orion-Stor...3338&sr=1-1

Good read.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

For a fictional depiction of an Orion, see Niven and Pournelle's Footfall.

The parts with the Michael--which is the last quarter of the book--is easily my favorite part.

 

[That Weirdo In The Corner]

JustAFriend said:

crookeddy said:
Has anyone here looked into this idea?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29
Is it now too far forgotten to ever be produced?

Go to the bookstore.

Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship (Paperback)
by George Dyson

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Orion-Stor...3338&sr=1-1

Good read.

I've just started reading it now. Fantastic read. 4000 ton spaceship and 800 bombs just to get it out of the earth's atmosphere.

not connected with the Orion project but the TRIGA nuclear reactor that can't go critical was very interesting.

 

[crookeddy]

Technology has improved since Orion was conceptualized though. We can now build it in space, and that gets rid of half of the potential problems.

 

[Stormrage]

I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

 

[watermelony2k]

Stormrage said:
I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

hey, space elevators are cool!

 

[syc]

Stormrage said:
I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

What would you prefer instead? Anti-Matter or Fusion Rockets? We all are aware, or maybe not, how useless electric propulsion is on a manned spacecraft, unless you can afford wait.

Space elevators are pure Science-Fiction. I mean come on, I never say never but... honestly now... an elevator stretching some twenty-thousand miles into space? Not in this century.

Orion and Daedalus are based on real scientific calculations, it doesnt take a Robert Zubrin to come up with concepts like the Space Elevator.

 

[JustAFriend]

Stormrage said:
I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

You wouldn't say that if there was a 10-mile-diameter asteroid on a collision course with Earth (assuring the total destruction of all life) and your name was picked in the Lottery....

 

[TerriO]

Stormrage said:
I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

Okay, I'm curious, what's the reasoning behind the "stupidest thing I have heard in my life"? If you disagree with the notion, on what terms? What are the disadvantages that you see that would prove the idea unattainable?

 

[Silvercrest]

Allyn Gibson said:
For a fictional depiction of an Orion, see Niven and Pournelle's Footfall.

The parts with the Michael--which is the last quarter of the book--is easily my favorite part.

"Sancho! My armor!"

 

[Ronald Held]

There is a talk here which may be relevent:
http://www.creationent.com/cal/stlv-subs/stlv_schedule.htm

 

[bryce]

Yeah the Orion in "Footfall" was kick-ass!!!

The film "Deep Impact" had a supposed "Orion-type" ship, but they did it all wrong.

And I have always assumed that the Impulse engines in Trek were based on the Daedalus concept. I even remember reading one early Trek book where the newly built Enterprise's engines were called "IM Pulse" engines, for "Intermittent Pulse Fusion" engines.

There are new versions of the Orion concept like Medusa

 

[Stormrage]

JustAFriend said:

Stormrage said:
I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

You wouldn't say that if there was a 10-mile-diameter asteroid on a collision course with Earth (assuring the total destruction of all life) and your name was picked in the Lottery....

Desperate situations would lead to desperate actions. It's quite different in a society that isn't near total collapse where funding for space is so volatile and to small.

Okay, I'm curious, what's the reasoning behind the "stupidest thing I have heard in my life"? If you disagree with the notion, on what terms? What are the disadvantages that you see that would prove the idea unattainable?

The fact that it's a just a big craft that moves by dropping bombs. I don't see how someone can agree with it. If It was created from scratch several thousands of miles away from Earth with money from private hands. Then it wouldn't matter.

 

[watermelony2k]

Stormrage said:

JustAFriend said:

Stormrage said:
I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. I can't really fathom anyone possible looking at this has an alternative. There are a lot of crazy ideas when it comes to space like space elevators but this one takes the cake.

You wouldn't say that if there was a 10-mile-diameter asteroid on a collision course with Earth (assuring the total destruction of all life) and your name was picked in the Lottery....

Desperate situations would lead to desperate actions. It's quite different in a society that isn't near total collapse where funding for space is so volatile and to small.

Okay, I'm curious, what's the reasoning behind the "stupidest thing I have heard in my life"? If you disagree with the notion, on what terms? What are the disadvantages that you see that would prove the idea unattainable?

The fact that it's a just a big craft that moves by dropping bombs. I don't see how someone can agree with it. If It was created from scratch several thousands of miles away from Earth with money from private hands. Then it wouldn't matter.

Seems like the only good reason to use nukes

 

[Stormrage]

Or you can convert them into nuclear fuel.

 

[Psion]

Stormrage, there were some pretty intelligent people behind this program. Not the least of whom was Freeman Dyson himself. The concept was tested successfully with conventional explosives with a scaled-down model, and had the craft actually been built the intention was to deliver a crew of up to 150 -- mostly scientists -- on voyages of exploration throughout the solar system by the 1970s.

Yep, it was all science fiction, but it was rendered impractical for political reasons, not scientific or technical.

What exactly do you object to? The use of nuclear explosives? The idea of a really big spaceship as opposed to pathetic little tin cans? Space exploration/exploitation in general?