[extropy-chat] "Scientists feel stifled by Bush administration"-alternatives?

[Dirk Bruere]

Adrian Tymes wrote:

>--- Henrique Moraes Machado <hemm at openlink.com.br>
>wrote:
>  
>
>>Shorter trips would be preferable (IMHO). Why not
>>finally build those nuclear propelled spaceships?
>>chemical rockets are crap.
>>    
>>
>
>Design and build a nuclear rocket that, even if it
>explodes during liftoff (while airborne but not at
>orbital speeds), will not scatter radioactivity all
>over the ground (or, at least, the nuclear components
>that reach the ground will contain their radioactive
>material enough that they will be safe to approach
>and, maybe after a few hours or so to cool down,
>handle).  Do that, and perhaps stage some public
>demonstrations by blowing up small scale versions of
>it then wandering around the debris field with a
>geiger counter, and you might be able to overcome the
>public fear that keeps nuclear rockets from
>deployment.  (Maybe a modification of the new pebble
>bed reactors?)
>_______________________________________________
>  
>
Not going to happen until we can use a fusion drive, most likely 
inertial confinement in a mag field.

-- 
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org



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