The fastest thing on earth
- kapikui
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
Apparently the story is exaggerated. http://io9.gizmodo.com/no-a-nuclear-exp ... 1715340946
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
From what I understood the nuclear launching idea required lots of small nuclear explosions, and very massive crafts, to be able to accelerate in a survivable fashion... But I could be completely wrong.
Would be an interesting way to launch exploration satellites out of LEO
Would be an interesting way to launch exploration satellites out of LEO
- HTRN
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
Yeah, darpa came up with some wacky shit back in the late 50s/early 60s. For more fun look such lovely ideas as SLAM, project pluto, and of course that darling of spacebattles SI fiction, casaba howitzers.D5CAV wrote:Back when people weren't so worried about something called "fallout", there was a project funded by the US to launch a space craft using nuclear bombs. It was in the 1950s and called "Project Orion".
Last edited by HTRN on Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
- MiddleAgedKen
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
In a backward, horrifying way, SLAM Is the most awesome thing that ever awed. The only thing that would make it more awesome is a cockpit.
I'm kidding about that last part. I think.
I'm kidding about that last part. I think.
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
Project Pluto, that it was part of, was aptly named. Lord of the underworld indeed.MiddleAgedKen wrote:In a backward, horrifying way, SLAM Is the most awesome thing that ever awed. The only thing that would make it more awesome is a cockpit.
One way ride, but you could log a *lot* of miles.I'm kidding about that last part. I think.
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If you know what you're doing, you're not learning anything. -Unknown
Sanity is the process by which you continually adjust your beliefs so they are predictively sound. -esr
- JustinR
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
Remember when the Mercury astronauts told von Braun that they wouldn't fly unless the capsule had windows and controls? If you were von Braun in this case, I would imagine they would tell you to go F yourself, in a respectful manner. Flying an unshielded reactor...geez.MiddleAgedKen wrote:In a backward, horrifying way, SLAM Is the most awesome thing that ever awed. The only thing that would make it more awesome is a cockpit.
I'm kidding about that last part. I think.
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- HTRN
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
SLAM is the answer to the question of "I want to fuck him and everything that stands in the way of doing so"MiddleAgedKen wrote:In a backward, horrifying way, SLAM Is the most awesome thing that ever awed. The only thing that would make it more awesome is a cockpit.
I'm kidding about that last part. I think.
And the various arms limitations agreements put paid to the development of the casaba howitzer - no nukes in space.. it would have made Battlestar Galactica about 6 time more awesome though.
HTRN, I would tell you that you are an evil fucker, but you probably get that a lot ~ Netpackrat
Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
Describing what HTRN does as "antics" is like describing the wreck of the Titanic as "a minor boating incident" ~ First Shirt
- mekender
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
As John Glenn famously said:JustinR wrote:Remember when the Mercury astronauts told von Braun that they wouldn't fly unless the capsule had windows and controls? If you were von Braun in this case, I would imagine they would tell you to go F yourself, in a respectful manner. Flying an unshielded reactor...geez.MiddleAgedKen wrote:In a backward, horrifying way, SLAM Is the most awesome thing that ever awed. The only thing that would make it more awesome is a cockpit.
I'm kidding about that last part. I think.
“I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?" Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts -- all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.”
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- First Shirt
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
I think that was Alan Shepherd.As John Glenn famously said:
“I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?" Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts -- all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.”
But there ain't many troubles that a man caint fix, with seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
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Lindy Cooper Wisdom
- Weetabix
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Re: The fastest thing on earth
I loved that book.D5CAV wrote:Back when people weren't so worried about something called "fallout", there was a project funded by the US to launch a space craft using nuclear bombs. It was in the 1950s and called "Project Orion".
The idea was resurrected as a plot device in the SciFi novel "Footfall" by Larry Niven.
Note to self: start reading sig lines. They're actually quite amusing. :D