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AnonTechie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Will nuclear-powered spaceships take us to the stars?

In the 1950s, rocket scientists dreamed of atomic-powered spaceships. Now these far-fetched designs might help a new generation explore the cosmos. Project Orion has to be the most audacious, dangerous and downright absurd space programme ever funded by the US taxpayer. This 1950s design involved exploding nuclear bombs behind a spacecraft the size of the Empire State Building to propel it through space. The Orion's engine would generate enormous amounts of energy — and with it lethal doses of radiation. Plans suggested the spacecraft could take off from Earth and travel to Mars and back in just three months. The quickest flight using conventional rockets and the right planetary alignment is 18 months.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140423-return-of -the-nuclear-spaceship [bbc.com]

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