[ExI] Why no space colonies or lunar bases? was Mooon. (Keith Henson)

[Samantha Atkins]

On Jul 23, 2011, at 8:52 AM, Keith Henson wrote:
>> Go with space nukes and you can conceivably do this today.
> 
> Please advise how to get around the engineering and political problems.

We and the Russians have already proven nuclear engines in space albeit of regular minor size.  Russia has a stated goal to put up 100 - 200 MWe nuclear plants in space.    I am sure SpaceX and other launch vehicles are up to the job of getting such plants to GEO or the moon.  So I don't think their is much of an engineering barrier for modular nuclear power systems is space.  Am I missing something?

Why should it be all that political?  The Snap program showed how to design these systems to safely destruct at altitude in case of some unexpected de-orbiting event.  

- samantha