[cripplecreek]

Even a ship with some kind of nuclear drive is going to be lifted to orbit by conventional rockets.

[LibWhacker]

That's not how Orion was originally conceived: Takeoff was to be nuclear from the get go. But nukes were getting such a bad rap, it would never fly, literally.

That's too bad because it turns out it is not such a great risk. We could be launching ships as large as the Empire State Building from the surface with crews of thousands on board. But libs once again have done everything in their power to block the advancement of the human race.

[LibWhacker]

Artist's rendering of an Orion launch.