Article

2020-02-27 Science & Technology

US government is developing a nuclear thermal rocket to send satellites into the vast 'cislunar' space between Earth and the Moon in a renewed space race with China

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Posted by Skidmark 2020-02-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 It is the 21st century, and Tramp is POTUS.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-02-27 04:59|| 2020-02-27 04:59|| Front Page Top

#2 If they're using Zubrin's nuclear salt rocket, we need to launch it from someplace like Somalia, cause it's umm...hard on the environment.

Posted by Silentbrick 2020-02-27 13:50|| 2020-02-27 13:50|| Front Page Top

#3 Sounds like the thermal indicates the tea-kettle designs. You heat water and it expands and provides thrust. Slow but safe which would be good for maintaining position on one of the Lagrange spots or trucking back and forth between Earth and Moon.

Posted by rjschwarz 2020-02-27 16:20|| 2020-02-27 16:20|| Front Page Top

#4 Article says hydrogen gas but that seems odd to me. Why pick an explosive gas when you don't intend to explode it?

Posted by rjschwarz 2020-02-27 16:23|| 2020-02-27 16:23|| Front Page Top

#5 To the moon Alice!!

Posted by Procopius2k 2020-02-27 19:52|| 2020-02-27 19:52|| Front Page Top

#6 Hydrogen, being less massive than other atoms you might use for fuel, gives you a higher effective exhaust velocity. It isn't explosive unless you mix it with an oxidant, but it does require cryogenics to manage it, which can outweigh the advantage. I wonder if they've made any progress on the erosion problems.

Posted by James 2020-02-27 21:57|| https://idontknowbut.blogspot.com 2020-02-27 21:57|| Front Page Top

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