Nukes & solar panels

In a message dated 4/4/01 10:55:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
hollroa@... writes:

<< From the point of view of the Bush administration, building more nukes
is a
relatively easy way of meeting the Kyoto accords, without pushing the price
of
power through the roof. I wouldn't be at all surprised if at some time in the
next year, the white house announces plans to build build more nukes. I would
expect an announcement that the US plans to resume reprocessing, would
quickly
follow. If this happens, the attitude towards nuclear power is likely to
change
somewhat, especialy with power shortages in California. Die hard
environmentalists may soon find themselves out in the cold.
>>

A nuclear rocket program should begin soon if it has any chance of suceeding
in 4 years. It should be a basic hydrogen rocket heated by a nuclear core. No
exotic composite tanks, conventional plumbing wherever possible and perhaps
use rocket nossles simular to the space shuttle. Basically keep in
conservative and easy to build with the only exotic part being the nuclear
reactor. I wonder if a nuclear reactor would have any trouble heating a
hypersonic airflow. There are difficulties in hypersonic combustion where
scramjet technology is concerned, but perhaps simply heating the airflow is
simpler than mixing fuel with it and igniting the air/fuel mixture so that it
provides thrust to the vehicle. I think air should be used as a propellent
for the lower part of the journey if possible, using only hydrogen rockets to
complete the journey into space so as to maximize the payload.

Tom Kalbfus