Geoffrey Landis - The Nuclear Rocket Workhorse of the Solar System

Starship Century is a symposium coordinated by the new Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination in collaboration with Gregory and James Benford, presenting ideas from their anthology of science and science fiction.

[@learnedhand7647]

The first thing I did when I got my first calculator was punch in 58008, and I felt pretty proud of myself.

[@ancapftw9113]

5318008, then flip it and laugh. Then you calculate an interplanetary flight as a warmup.

[@TerminalConstipation]

Nice! I interned for Dr. Stan Borowski back when I was in high school. Cool dude.

[@ancapftw9113]

Speaking of electric engines, I should calculate what it would take to launch a Vasmir ship into space while hauling a several hundred kilometer drop cord for power.

[@cloakster]

Why?

[@DrayseSchneider]

The "tumbling pigeon" approach to make artificial gravity probably isn't what most people imagine. I like it though and it gets around some it the engineering problems a separately rotating centrifuge habitat might introduce.

[@markjmaxwell9819]

It's coming back around NTP is going to make a comeback. My first calculator was a texas instruments non scientific and it was much better than my slide rule. And just to add my small contribution how about we use the heat from the nuclear thermal reactor to run a Stirling engine or engines to generate power and charge batteries. The Chinese have just successfully tested a large sterling power generator in space. Geoff is not my favourite Author but NTP does make sense. 😎👍

[@rokadamlje5365]

If its anything less than 5 in TWR its kinda useless.

[@darkcynite]

Pretty cool.

[@stevenwellesley]

Water and hydrogen are all around the solar system, just waiting..

[@leerman22]

Water can't get good exhaust velocity for the same temperature, but you are in space already then the density makes up for it.

[@lucasbowering]

When he got his first calculator I thought he was going to say the first thing he did was write "boobs". Geez was I wrong.

[@Test-ri2kr]

Lmao. Or hello or something lol

[@AverageJoe8686]

Wow...91t of tanker propellant to ship 128t of return propellant to Callisto.

[@jasons44]

Hope to God all you smart people realize these goals, for all man kind but we America's will enjoy these goals first, before any others world government, America's must show the world 🌎 how it's done

[@Shady-Shane]

half way in enjoying it,thought well that makes sense, but its not rocket... oh wait suddenly realised "actually this IS rocket science lol"

[@luclachapelle3499]

If you want to go to Mars ... the rockets has to precede the fuel tanks ... since you are droping them on the way

[@aleksanderkuncwicz7277]

Usa got to build a nuclear powered plane to space I think giant one to drop off people on the moon and iss.

[@granddad2002]

We're all dressed up and no where to go! Risk avoidance is serious business; this is where I wonder how people conflict on approaching Space. The argument of cost, safety & goals is even more stupefying. Hell, we're doing better on spending priorities (remember the $millions spent on developing a pen to work in zero-g?)! I enjoy these talks, but how do we go from drawing board to outer space on talk? I'm not a trained astronaut, physicist or economist... but it seems these are the projects that will do more for any country, compared to giving out a IMF humanitarian loan. I'm not against social programs or charities, I'm against 'passing the buck'. If we can build another Los Angeles class submarine or do a bail out on Wall Street, the human race can go to Mars! We'd be better off doing something that makes us do the extraordinary. If I had the check book, I'd do the shopping myself and put my ass on that seat! My money & my life: just because I'm tired of sitting around 'waiting' for the good fairy to give us a spaceship that will win the consensus!

[@SameBasicRiff]

Tom Cotter so true eh? you cant please everyone . this is common knowledge that is apparently overlooked by NASA..... i guess we need a private company or another space agency to see the benefits of getting to mars before NASA.

[@HexaSquirrel]

The pen costing millions is BS.

[@NicolaFaccioliniTv]

Go to other Stars now.

[@Jason987262]

These spcaecraft designs look real flimsy. Want something that doesn't look like it will snap like a twig.

[@TheNavalAviator]

NTRs are fairly low thrust so and those ships will never land on a body so it makes sense to build them light as they only need to withstand an acceleration of roughly 1/5 of earth's gravity.

[@billenright2788]

What if it blows-up on the pad??

[@calvinsylveste8474]

Don't worry, they will build a few spares.

[@g__wizz]

gheeze i thought he was going to start off with a joke like first thing i did with my calculator was make it say "hello"... boy am i out of this guys league.

[@lightfdar]

The Russian Tech is better. These can take you to an impulse of 2000 up

[@thucnduy]

+lightfdar Yeah, the Russian is always better. But why they are always the loser?

[@duckslayer92]

I'll think I'll refrain from having confidence in Russian nuke tech.

[@ramonmedina2160]

Meando construiremos piramidal