Posted on 01/24/2009 11:50:41 AM PST by LibWhacker
Abstract: Large scale manned space flight within the solar system is still confronted with the solution of two problems: 1. A propulsion system to transport large payloads with short transit times between different planetary orbits. 2. A cost effective lifting of large payloads into earth orbit. For the solution of the first problem a deuterium fusion bomb propulsion system is proposed where a thermonuclear detonation wave is ignited in a small cylindrical assembly of deuterium with a gigavolt-multimegampere proton beam, drawn from the magnetically insulated spacecraft acting in the ultrahigh vacuum of space as a gigavolt capacitor. For the solution of the second problem, the ignition is done by argon ion lasers driven by high explosives, with the lasers destroyed in the fusion explosion and becoming part of the exhaust.
I guess dilithium crystals are out?.............
Have you cleared this post with the Obama administration? I don’t see any carbon footprint data...
I'd cheerfully pay two dollars to be a fly on the wall at the NDRC if someone manages to sell this...
Stray thought; wonder if Travis Taylor knows anyone who could apply thorium reactor to update the NERVA program...
Ducking...
Hmmmmmmm
Pong
In 1983 Dr. Robert Forward had a contract from the USAF to study and report on every far-out propulsion idea that he could find. I organized an after-hours brainstorming session for him at Rockwell International’s Space Shuttle Division where I was in Advanced Engineering. I was pleased that he liked and reported on my idea for using Californium bombs to make a mini-Orion, bomb driven spacecraft. He concluded that antimatter had real promise which resulted in some USAF and DARPA funding. BTW, he checked out every antigravity, inertial drive, ad infinitum idea that he could find and concluded that none of them showed evidence of working. Another result was the High Energy Density Materials symposia which resulted in some advanced propellants and explosives.
Pong
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