Nuclear Energy as Rocket Fuel?

[Logicalgal175]

The current rockets being launched into space appear to still be using rocket fuel and kerosene. This appears to be what we have been using for decades. It seems to me that we haven't progressed very much in that regard. Are there any plans to start using nuclear energy as a more effective way to get through Earth's atmosphere and possibly farther out into space than just to the moon and Mars?

 

[COLGeek]

See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_propulsion

 

[T’n’T]

The current rockets being launched into space appear to still be using rocket fuel and kerosene. This appears to be what we have been using for decades. It seems to me that we haven't progressed very much in that regard. Are there any plans to start using nuclear energy as a more effective way to get through Earth's atmosphere and possibly farther out into space than just to the moon and Mars?

Is it possible to prevent the radiation,from sitting on the atmosphere?

 

[Logicalgal175]

See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_propulsion

Thanks. But it appears that nuclear propulsion research and development efforts, at least by NASA in the USA, started in 1993 and ended in 2005 due to lack of funding. I was wondering if anyone knows if there is anything going on in the USA now toward nuclear propulsion in a safe way that would not leave a trail of radiation. If we able to build nuclear power plants that can power whole cities....

 

[T’n’T]

I’m also wondering if nuclear “trailed” radiation. Is the worst of radiation in space. Does nuclear propulsion waste a negative or positive Charge within, basically wondering if it is comparable to any radiation possible stagnant from lack of solar radiation mixture?

 

[Logicalgal175]

Is it possible to prevent the radiation,from sitting on the atmosphere?

Seems to me like with all the nuclear physicists we have in the world today, they should be able to somehow figure out a way to capture and contain the radiation somehow or in some way render it inert.

 

[COLGeek]

Seems to me like with all the nuclear physicists we have in the world today, they should be able to somehow figure out a way to capture and contain the radiation somehow or in some way render it inert.

I am sure the folks that build nuclear reactors would be interested in that technology.

 

[Logicalgal175]

How do nuclear powered submarines do it?

 

[COLGeek]

From this site, one would assume they use a sealed system until serviced/replaced:

Nuclear Submarines and Aircraft Carriers | US EPA

Nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers are powered by on-board nuclear reactors. There is no reason civilians should ever encounter any exposure risk from nuclear submarines or the disposal sites that store the dismantled reactor compartments.

www.epa.gov

 

[Logicalgal175]

Interesting. Just makes me wonder why our space program could not use on board nuclear reactors of some kind to get us up and out of this measly 32 miles of Earth atmosphere and gravity and out into space. I will have to do more research on this topic.

 

[Geomartian]

A fission type reactor has reactive inertia. It takes a while to start the chain reaction up (polonium poisoning) and it takes a while to shut one down (daughter product decay). Throwing in all the control rods is like putting your foot down on the wheel of a locomotive. You are going to stop that locomotive…. at some point in the distant future.

In nuclear propulsion the reaction mass or fluid is also the reactor coolant. If the coolant pump fails the reactor overheats before the reactor can be shut down. The radiation released will just add to the number of mutant super heroes running, hopping, or slithering around.

 

[voidpotentialenergy]

Not really a problem to make a nuclear powered star ship, in 1960's it was already solid tech and expected speed of around 1/10 C is quite possible..
The problem is the amount of fuel needed to power it, an accident on route to fuel it could be a global disaster.
Creating the ship and fuel at Mars is a different story, but we are some long number of years before we are ready to do that.

With a 45-50 year trip to the nearest star, a refuel of a few years and creation of a second ship and exploration of planets 20-30 years, then another 45-50 year trip to the next star we could explore the entire galaxy in 1-2 million years.
Robots best suited to these trips and if we duplicate more ships at each destination far less than 1-2 million years.

At 50-55 years we get data back about the first star and planets.
Next 70 years we get data back about 2 stars and planets, 70 more years and it's 4, etc etc.

Smallest possible ships, smallest possible amount of fuel and easiest duplication i think is the ticket to explore the galaxy.
Getting to the next galaxies a far longer prospect but possible also.

 

[Logicalgal175]

I still think fusion propulsion will be the most logical next step toward getting us to the Proxima Centauri star system. And I also think transporting adult humans in cryo suspension (yes like in science fiction movies) will be the most logical way to get us there in order to populate the next planet. And we need to start working on it NOW!

Regarding propulsion, anti matter/matter particle collisions create energy, but we do not have any way to harness or control it.

 

[iwnt2kw]

The current rockets being launched into space appear to still be using rocket fuel and kerosene. This appears to be what we have been using for decades. It seems to me that we haven't progressed very much in that regard. Are there any plans to start using nuclear energy as a more effective way to get through Earth's atmosphere and possibly farther out into space than just to the moon and Mars?

I have an answer Nuclear fuel has a secret ability Hidden in it's nature That could and possibly can help spaceships To travers across space and on to other distant stars Something that I have found to be useful in being able To do this Only because this is the nature of fresh and or even spent uranium , plutonium Which ever one is being used in nuclear reactors Because of their property's That I believe the science world hasn't either discovered yet and or maybe just not experimented on And these are hidden properties of nature ( the qm laws , rules , principles of """NATURE""" ) Of the universe around us Now I found this out through experimenting And No I have not published anything yet , of my findings

 

[COLGeek]

I have an answer Nuclear fuel has a secret ability Hidden in it's nature That could and possibly can help spaceships To travers across space and on to other distant stars Something that I have found to be useful in being able To do this Only because this is the nature of fresh and or even spent uranium , plutonium Which ever one is being used in nuclear reactors Because of their property's That I believe the science world hasn't either discovered yet and or maybe just not experimented on And these are hidden properties of nature ( the qm laws , rules , principles of """NATURE""" ) Of the universe around us Now I found this out through experimenting And No I have not published anything yet , of my findings

Please explain your experiments so we can consider what you are theorizing. You are making some rather bold claims, you must admit.