|
Author
|
Topic: 1950's Project Orion - Atom Bomb Powered
|
davidcwagner
Member Posts: 799
From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Registered: Jan 2003
|
posted 01-12-2007 11:11 PM
   
Does anyone remember the original 1950's Project Orion to build an atomic pulse powered spacecraft? The idea was abandoned because of the need to explode multiple atomic bombs to get the ship off the ground. If any one has the will & technology to do so, it would be the Chinese. They could leap frog everyone else combined and place more tonnage in space with 1 launch then all other rocket launches combined. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 02-21-2007 05:45 PM
Yes there is a good book Project Orion - True Story of the Atomic Space Ship by George Dyson. In case you missed this on Fox they were planning to detonate nukes outside a space vehicle as a way to propel it. Strange but true! |
randy
Member Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
|
posted 02-21-2007 06:01 PM
There is also a DVD on Project Orion in the 'Race to the Moon' boxed set done by The History Channel.Randy |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 02-22-2007 12:49 PM
Thank you for that info Randy. I bought the DVD at Amazon. Much obliged.[Edited by garymilgrom (February 22, 2007).] |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 03-01-2007 12:34 PM
I watched the DVD last night. It's excellent. I had no idea the project had progressed to test models. Fascinating to see the thing take off and continue to rise after successive explosions behind the pusher plate.
Thanks again to this forum where I found out about the program! |
Rodina
Member Posts: 836
From: Lafayette, CA
Registered: Oct 2001
|
posted 03-02-2007 06:53 AM
quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
I watched the DVD last night. It's excellent. I had no idea the project had progressed to test models. Fascinating to see the thing take off and continue to rise after successive explosions behind the pusher plate.
Thanks again to this forum where I found out about the program!
And if you like that sort of thing, you ought to check out the 1985 Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle novel "Footfall" where, after getting our rears kicked around by some alien bad guys for a couple of years, the United States builds an Orion-type vessel in Bremerton, WA, and launches it into the coolest fictional space battle ever set down on paper.
|
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 03-20-2007 02:50 PM
Rodina thanks for this recommendation. I just bought the book at Amazon - thanks again to this great resource and the people who hang out here! I'll post a review once I've read it.Gary Milgrom |
advertisement