If you could put an aircraft into Jupiter's atmosphere...

[bdewoody]

No, actually I was thinking of the stink it would cause here on earth if NASA or ESA were to actually try to lauch a probe to any planet or moon that has radioactive material in it's exhaust plume. I remember the protests that happened before the launch of Cassini because of the nuclear power cells on board. I believe that nuclear ramjets are a dead end technology. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[saurc]

Cassini had a radioactive plutonium generator. That's thing's highly radioactive, on Earth, as well as in space. The nuclear ramjet, on the other hand uses fission, which can be started when the probe reaches Jupiter or somewhere and is completely harmless before (during launch etc.) . You can't write off nuclear rockets/ramjets just like that.

 

[bdewoody]

Yes and that generator is designed to withstand the force of a launch accident without loosing containment. I don't think that could be said about a launch with a nuclear ramjet as part of the payload.<br /><br />I have no problem with nuclear space propulsion but IMHO there is no future for an atmospheric propulsion system that leaves radioactive gases in it's wake.<br /><br />And I'll take bets on that position. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I have looked for the original links I had for the specs on the MITEE Engine & they are apparently no good any more. The only active ones I can currently find you have to pay for, & I'm too cheap to do that. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /> The design for the MITEE Engine is based on the Particle Bed Reactor, & instead of sealing the reactor elements in silicone nodules it uses beryllium rods. The exhaust from this engine produces zero radioactive emissions. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The nuclear ramjet, on the other hand uses fission, which can be started when the probe reaches Jupiter or somewhere and is completely harmless before<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Actually, the fuel would be radioactive prior to launch. That is how they find uranium ore in the first place. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Fouling up the science instruments was my main concern. No bogus results please. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[saurc]

Well uranium is hardly radioactive really. I mean it won't make any difference to humans. You can't compare it with plutonium, which is highly radioactive. Half life of uranium ~ 4.5 billion years. Half life of plutonium - 80 years.

 

[superluminal]

This is a very interesting topic.<br /><br />I'd like to experiment with baseball size probes attached to a Jupiter atmosphere flyer.<br /><br />Seven of these ten round baseball probes, would be divided in half with a middle sealed barrier.<br /><br />One side of seven of these probes, would be packed with various pre-selected chemical elements from Earth.<br /><br />The other sealed side, would be a half chamber vacuum, capable of sucking up a sample of Jupiter's atmosphere to be mixed later with specific Earth elements.<br /> <br />First<br /> The very first probes to be launched, is a camera equipped satellite probe to record the visual and sensor results of the upcoming nine probes. <br /><br />Once atmospheric samples are obtained in nine of the probes, and after the satellite recorder probe is launched first, one at a time in sequence ,each of the nine remaining probes, would be launched back above Jupiter's upper atmosphere.<br /> <br />Secondly <br /> The two sealed chambers inside the probe would open it's dividing walls to test for immediate hyperbolic reactions.<br /><br />If no immediate reaction occurred,<br /> <br />Thirdly<br /> <br />At the very center of the probe, a pyrotechnic device would detonate to test the results of any explosions and or, propulsion produced.<br /><br />Probe one = satellite visual recorder.<br /><br />probe two and three = single chamber atmosphere samples ( total Jupiter atmosphere samples ) <br /><br /><br />Probe 4 through 10 would be, half chambers of various elements from Earth, and half of a chamber of Jupiter's atmosphere.<br /><br />I surmise, a major problem here would be, to obtain the energy required, for each probe to be launched above and away from the Jupiter flyer, into the upper atmosphere above Jupiter to test the results. <br /><br />But I do think it would be interesting to see the results if such an experiment were possible. <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><strong><font size="3" color="#3366ff">Columbia and Challenger </font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="3" color="#3366ff">Starships of Heroes</font></strong></p> </div>