Chat
September 13, 2011
2 notes

That got dark quickly

  • Me: I was talking with my coworker yesterday about nuclear propulsion in space and why it is the best project we can pursue for deepspace exploration. The new girl looked at me like I was crazy.
  • Also nuclear propulsion in space is illegal.
  • Friend: For now.
  • Me: Yeah. We had a project going in the late 50s, early 60s to do just that. But then we passed nuclear arms treaties and that killed the project. I'm not saying we shouldn't have nuclear arms treaties.
  • Friend: You are.
  • Me: But that we should revise them to reduce nuclear weaponry through international cooperation toward the end of space exploration.
  • Friend: You're saying we should murder babies with nuclear weapons.
  • Me: We should; babies are annoying.
  • Friend: ... but that's a side point
  • Me: No. That's the main point. We're just going down sidestreets to get there.
  • Friend: Priorities: 1. Kill babies with nukes. 2. Explore space more, yo.
  • Me: Precisely.

Tags: Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Project Orion babies space IRL

Photo
September 01, 2011
10 notes
ifuckinglovespace: NASA: In the 1960’s U.S. Government laboratories, under Project Orion, investigated a pulsed nuclear fission propulsion system. Small nuclear pulse units would be sequentially discharged from the aft end of the vehicle. A blast shield and shock absorber system would protect the crew and convert the shock loads into a continuous propusive force. In his book and companion series Cosmos, Carl Sagan discussed Project Orion, describing it as “providing a kind of putt-putt, a kind of nuclear motor boat in space.” He expounded Orion as the best use of nuclear weapons, “provided they do not depart from very near the Earth,” in order to reduce the risk of fallout. The 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, however, killed the Orion Project, as it “prohibits nuclear weapons tests ‘or any other nuclear explosion’ in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water.”

ifuckinglovespace:

NASA:

In the 1960’s U.S. Government laboratories, under Project Orion, investigated a pulsed nuclear fission propulsion system. Small nuclear pulse units would be sequentially discharged from the aft end of the vehicle. A blast shield and shock absorber system would protect the crew and convert the shock loads into a continuous propusive force.

In his book and companion series Cosmos, Carl Sagan discussed Project Orion, describing it as “providing a kind of putt-putt, a kind of nuclear motor boat in space.” He expounded Orion as the best use of nuclear weapons, “provided they do not depart from very near the Earth,” in order to reduce the risk of fallout.

The 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, however, killed the Orion Project, as it “prohibits nuclear weapons tests ‘or any other nuclear explosion’ in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water.”

Tags: space science Project Orion NASA nuclear propulsion Carl Sagan nuclear nuclear weapons Cosmos