neofuel web site

I asked the following questions of Anthony Zuppero who is an expert
in nuclear space propulsion

>We have been having a discussion on ssi-list (Space Studies Institute
>email list, www.ssi.org) about nuclear space engines. One of the
>guys is overcome by the desire to do everything including earth launch
>using nuclear. The rest of us have been pointing out that the politics
>of the situation are insurmountable. Since you are obviously an
>expert in this area. What do you consider the safest way for getting
>a nuclear space engine in orbit so that it could be used in space?
{he replied}

Hello Mitchel James
Anthony Zuppero here.

You asked a question about nuclear rocket engines and space applications

(question copied below).

the quick answer: "I love my car, with the liquid fuel. I never
run it in
my bedroom."

a detailed answer:
1. thrust to weight ratio of believable nuclear rocket engines is
insufficient by factor of about 10 to be usable for earth-to-space
launch.

2. reliability factors of nuclear engine, though marvelous in principle,

are insufficient to allow use in our air.

Figure this for yourselves. Use RL-10 engine as reference, LOX-Liq
H2 fuel,
450 seconds Isp, about 1300 Megawatts power per ton engine. Compute the
thrust per mass engine. Recall that thrust is dm/dt x V, m = exhaust
mass, kg/sec, and V is exhaust velocity, which is Isp x 9.808 m/s
(Vsp =
Isp x Go). Also recall that dm/dt x V x V / 2 = Power

Then figure nuclear rocket engine same way, 300 megawatts per ton
engine,
Isp ~ 800 seconds, liq H2 propellant. You might also allow 450 seconds
Isp
just to permit higher launch thrust. Or, you might allow any Isp
at all
to launch and use water as propellant.

All figuring I did shows the nuclear rocket can't even make a two
way trip
off Mars and back.

I love nuclear heated steam rockets and publlished during 1997 that one
would enable at least factor of 500 increase in payload over alternativbes

to places like Mars and moons of Jupiter. See
http://neofuel.com/moonicerocket which is the Joint Propulsion
Conference
paper, Seattle, June 1997

Airplanes crash with 1 in a 100,000 probability. Try to fly a nuclear
reactor in my air with that probability and I will certainly complain,
become a protester, lobby congress against it, etc. and be generally
obnoxious.

These results hold true even though one is stranded in space without
nuclear rockets.

Nuclear rockets belong in space. Without them we are stranded here
on Earth
with terrorists and tax collectors forever.

And don't run my car in my bedroom.

Cheers,
Anthony

ps
launch in pieces, e.g. separate core so no piece is dangerous.
before rector turns on, core is essentially edible.

Mitchell James
mejames@...
http://www.InnerTransit.net (Email distribution for multilevel organizations)
http://www.InnerTransit.org (Homebase for collaborative engineering)