Project Orion

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

Never heard of it ya say? Probably not...but it was a true gawdamn doozy ntl. Originally intended to be a nuc-powered space craft to Mars under the auspices of the then ARPA and the dream of a recovering nuc weapons designer named Theodore Taylor and cohort Freeman Dyson. Twas based on the nuc pulse theory...which simply stated means setting off atomic bombs in sequence to provide thrust (gawdamn what a ride eh)
I see Slim Pickens in Doctor Strangelove as I type.

But as usual the 'D' (defense) in ARPA which changed it to DARPA decided a reroute of the mission was better. Or so it's been alleged. The thing might instead become the USS Orion....Space battleship.....ya you heard right. Ever ready to standby and fire nucs at the then pesky 'rooskies'.

Ya just can not make this stuff up.

See: http://www.islandone.org/Propulsion/ProjectOrion.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/george_dyson_on_project_orion.html

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nuclearspace-03h.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=r_Gu4f0QxrkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=project+orion&hl=en&ei=1UjLTN7BNYP-8AaGo5WlAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Edited by Centrix Vigilis - 11-Jan-2013 at 17:32