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We Need a 'Mini-Manhattan Project' for
Nuclear Electric Propulsion

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Posted By: Moritz55, 8/14/2025 6:28:48 PM

The high ground has always held strategic and tactical importance—from mountaintops in ancient battles to the orbital vantage points of today. China and Russia are rapidly accelerating their space and lunar ambitions. Both are seeking scientific, economic, and national security breakthroughs that could shift the balance of power on Earth. The President’s budget calls for an eventual pivot away from NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS)—leaving the heavy-lift rocket business to a capable commercial industry. That pivot should be toward something no other agency, organization, or company is capable of accomplishing: building a fleet of nuclear-electric-powered spaceships and extending America’s reach in the ultimate high ground of space.

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Reply 1 - Posted by: Mr. Know-It-All 8/14/2025 6:52:49 PM (No. 1990766)
Nice idea, but where would we get the money? We already have ruinous debt that we may never be able to pay.
5 people like this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: DVC 8/14/2025 7:32:35 PM (No. 1990775)
We had plans for a nuclear powered aircraft in the late fifties. Fortunately, it was correctly deemed as too dangerous, in tgem inevitable crashes. Same forf this. Bad idea.
3 people like this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: Slartibartfast 8/14/2025 7:38:23 PM (No. 1990777)
Once you are in Space, nuclear propulsion would be awesome. Getting it there is the problem...space elevator anyone?
3 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: Sunhan65 8/14/2025 7:43:32 PM (No. 1990780)
I'm for anything that establishes an American presence outside Earth's gravitational field. However, this is the wrong approach. Putting more power into things that push straight up is Fighting gravity on gravity's terms. It doesn't matter what engine you're using, you are literally pushing a rock straight up. I would much rather roll things up a hill. Induction catapults can be built to accelerate objects to escape velocity before arcing them up against Earth's gravity. If they want to use nuclear power to power the magnets, I'm fine with that too. More nuclear power is always good.
2 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: DVC 8/14/2025 8:26:12 PM (No. 1990784)
Neat concept #4, except for the little problem of how to go 25,000 mph inside the atmosphere. Aerodynamic heating would raise the vehicle's skin temp to 3 or 4,000 degrees, and the sonic boom shock waves would require it to happen very far from any manmade structure.
4 people like this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: Strike3 8/15/2025 7:49:45 AM (No. 1990896)
Applicable for ships, submarines and larger land vehicles but we will not be reaching anything worthwhile in space other than a few pieces of lifeless rock in the foreseeable future. Those accomplishments are symbolic. The FTL drives and wormholes of science fiction are figments of the imagination.
0 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: felixcat 8/15/2025 8:55:56 AM (No. 1990920)
The CEO of BWXT.com, sole supplier of nuclear technology to the US Navy was interviewed on Maria Bartiromo's show earlier this week. Fascinating discussion. Don't know about the feasibility yet of nuclear powered aircraft but why isn't this country (I know,..) pushing for more nuclear energy to power all these "necessary" data centers, etc and STOP with the stupid wind farms!!! Stop with the "all of the above" approach.
2 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: Venturer 8/15/2025 10:27:04 AM (No. 1990956)
I am more interested in Mini Nuclear power plants run on Fusion'
2 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: Sunhan65 8/15/2025 4:02:26 PM (No. 1991054)
#5, you are wiser than me on many things, especially aerodynamics. That's why we would get rid of the air. The main acceleration would take place inside a tunnel within vacuum to minimize wind resistance and frictional heat until launched at the top of the mountain where atmospheric effects would be reduced and secondary propulsion systems would kick in. (Not opposed to rockets. Just don't want to use them for the initial heavy lifting). Magnetic induction catapults as a modality for space launch appear in several of science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein's stories, often featuring Pikes Peak. He was both a retired naval officer and an aeronautical engineer, who went to great trouble to get the nuts and bolts of his future thinking right.
0 people like this.

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