Nuclear Propulsion From Earth to Mars in Just 45 Days

[@megaprojects9649]

Check out Holzkern at www.world.holzkern.com/en_world/megaprojects and use the code "MEGA15" to get a 15% discount on all products + polishing cloth worth 15€. Thank you Holzkern for the sponsorship!

[@jonathanperry8331]

How would it slow down?

[@RinksRides]

Dems some sexy watches!

[@backupintheday9710]

New Clear Energy is Hydro Turbines and you know it.

[@raya.p.l5919]

❤u need a secret before u can experience blood wine the illuminati aka fallen angels aliens NASA what ever you want to call them in there flying tin cans. Can't leave lower Orbit because of the vacuum. That's what space x Star ship with all the thrusters to try to punch through. An destroy Mars moon were heaven is. Now u can experience Jesus healing energy an who ever u show these words can also experience all old aches and pains will be washed away takes 30 minutes best to relax and shut yr eyes.

[@elmerrullman4853]

0pppooooppppplpppl 3 M

[@donrimel7500]

I love how this video started with rail travel 160 years ago. I remember talking to my Great Grandmother about her life being alive before the first flight of the Wright Brothers and seeing man walk on the moon during her lifetime.

[@TheBooban]

The greatest generation.

[@michaelripley4528]

My dad asked my granddad : do you Think than humans Will ever visit the Moon? And that was just 5 years before that happend. His ansver was : Are you insaine 🤣

[@michaelb1761]

Yep, my great grandfather was born in 1883 and died in 1977. The changes he saw in his lifetime are just crazy. His family traveled from Iowa to San Francisco by that transcontinental rail system before he was a teenager. He was in his 30's before cars became relatively common, and he saw the advent of supersonic jets and men walking on the moon. It's crazy to think about what the equivalent would be for me.

[@michaelripley4528]

@@michaelb1761 Yeah 🥰 Future is Amazing, Im more into exploring of Mars, than growing Human life there… We do have a perfect planet, Mars is a dead end street to mankind ? But lets go explore and tourism ok😁 What is your thought at this one ?

[@imnotyourfriendbuddy1883]

​@@TheBooban A memory from before 1903 is probably 2 generations older than the greatest generation

[@trespire]

Check out the steam engine at 0:45. Notice the two closest tracks with a water trough running through their center. Some engines had a water scoop, used for refuling (steam uses water) while still traveling at speed. No need to stop divert and under a water tower to refill, trains would run to a tighter schedual.

[@bobbyrayvictory6905]

Noice. Thanks friend

[@slipkid35]

I was just 5 years old when we first landed on the moon and the thought of possibly still being alive to witness the dawn of the era of routine interplanetary travel makes me very happy! What a time to be alive

[@geemanbmw]

Your 3 years older than me Keith and your right what a time to be alive to witness it all. I was fortunate to witness the last apollo 17 at night and seeing skylab go up even tho my family lived 15 miles away those F1 engines is something you don't forget hearing even from that distance..

[@Samstrainsofficially]

Gentlemen, Neither of you will see an era of routine interplanetary travel. I was born some 29 years after man first walked on the moon and do not see this happening in my lifetime. It's pointless, much much more difficult than the CGI vapourware manufacturers would ever have you believe. Then there's the detestible people that want it, for detestible reasons, generally tech billionaires with little to no grounding in reality that see it as a way to ensure their dominance over others while earth burns to enable their plans. Scifi is fiction because it's not real, trying to make it real is dumb. 😊

[@parveskoyes9937]

@@geemanbmw did you watch it live on TV? The moon landings I mean

[@geemanbmw]

@Parves Koyes I recall my parents watching the last one on TV a vague recollection but I clearly remember apollo 17 lifting off that I can't get out of my mind... and then the saturn5 that took skylab I remember that clearly

[@bigglilwayne7050]

So we made it to the moon when technologically speaking we were in a dinosaur age compared to now... Basic logic would suggest that men walking on the moon would be as common of an occurrence as transcontinental travel

[@csdn4483]

Fun fact - the NERVA test engines were called Kiwis because they were flightless birds. (Source - one of my professors in college actually worked on NERVA, had some interesting stories including the destruction test to see just what the maximum power output was -- no, didn't explode, however, it did shake itself apart as fuel rods were being spit out the nozzle).

[@jessepollard7132]

yup. Mechanical stress that exceeds the integrity of the device can cause a LOT of problems.

[@iridiumhydrogen8420]

Another fun fact is that the NERVA project was at the Nevada Test Site, Site-25.

[@alloy11]

Fuel rods just being spit out like that scarryy

[@NoobMaster-we6ll]

​@@iridiumhydrogen8420yeah it was call jackass plains if I ain't wrong

[@robertromberger4708]

​@@NoobMaster-we6llJackass Flats, not plains. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket?wprov=sfla1

[@Wendallpie]

Favorite Mega Project to date. As a Rocket Scientist, I declare kudos for phenomenal blazer performance AND an incredibly well researched video.

[@rgbreeding]

Then this should be old news to you and it shouldnt be that exciting -if you were a rocket scientist.

[@GreyDeathVaccine]

Venus episode was better :P

[@zachgarber9450]

​@@rgbreeding seeing niche stuff you work on out in the wild is always exciting if you like what you do

[@rgbreeding]

@@zachgarber9450 That's the point. If you truly love what you do you would have all the basics covered; e.g. rocket scientist and nuclear propulsion. It's well documented --not niche.

[@jamesowens7176]

Agreed, Wendall! It's always fun to see our work highlighted in such a positive way in public venues like this! I worked on Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (part of Project Prometheus) back in 2003-05 (the Sean O'Keefe era at NASA). The thermal radiators were one of our biggest challenges. More recently I interviewed with a company that is actually working on an NTP proposal for NASA that includes using CH4 instead of H2 as the propellant (the performance hit for CH4 is offset by having less boil-off and smaller tankage). It will be interesting to see how the bimodal system gets rid of waste heat. Also, I'd never heard of the Wave Rotor concept, so thanks for that!

[@randycampbell6307]

Just to be clear the "bimodal" isn't the NTR/NEP but the modes of the reactor itself. Since it can be both a rocket thruster (NTR mode) and also a power reactor (which then powers the NEP mode) it is known as a "bimodal reactor". The "fun" part here is that by adding a liquid oxygen injector system to the NTR mode you can greatly increase the thrust of the NTR which has benefits for short length/high trust segments of the voyage. This then turns it into a TRI-modal power plant. (Might want to check out the "Triton NTR" concept)

[@SirGeneTX]

Building these in Kerbal is a blast

[@stephanvonwolf5666]

Did you pick up on his idiotic cut on MSNBC? That means to visit a Fox News Network man good what kind of idiot drives politics into science?

[@randycampbell6307]

@@SirGeneTX Especially if you do it 'right' but I don't recall KSP having a 'bimodal' or "trimodal' version? Mods?

[@Dave5843-d9m]

Who is going to fund this idea? Elon hates nuclear and even he is not rich enough. Then there’s the Xenon. We would need molten salt power reactors to make enough of the stuff. But Elon hates nuclear. Humans on Mars will need power. But solar energy is little better than moonlight on earth and PWR reactors are far too heavy a potentially too risky. Yet again, molten salt would do the job. Why are we not building them on earth right now?

[@Dave5843-d9m]

Kirk Sorenson - a huge proponent of molten salt nuclear - was tasked by NASA to research a power source for power on the moon. It’s 24 day nights make solar pretty useless. He rediscovered the work of Alvin Weinberg on molten salt reactors. He ran a demonstration reactor at Oak Ridge. Another promising project cancelled by Richard Nixon. Sorenson literally saved the Weinburg research from destruction. Oak Ridge was about to burn the whole lot.

[@OGTylerP]

what a time to be alive...45 days to mars awhile we're still killing eachother because we can't get along.. lol

[@Star_Jewel_Realm]

Interesting intro.When I was four years old I travelled with my family to visit my grandmother's home village. We travelled on a train for six hours. I was fascinated by the mountains and the seemingly long tunnel in it. 😊Now we might have the technology to travel to Mars within 45 days. However there are numerous obstacles we must solve before we even reach escape velocity. We will need to control the process with accuracy. 🤔🚀 To Mars or bust. We gotta trust. There is a new land out there... 😅

[@lazarusblackwell6988]

Finally some real progress on the space propulsion tech.

[@marktwain368]

Factor in the covert assistance of ETs with varying agendas and this gets real interesting!

[@lazarusblackwell6988]

@@marktwain368 LOL

[@tomhoward1996]

There was another nuclear powered design I saw in the late 60s. it was called Orion, a name often recycled in space work. The premise was you built a REALLY BIG steel plate, with REALLY BIG springs, like coils on McPherson struts. You then built a large cabin and storage structures connected to the coils. You then exploded a tiny nuclear bomb behind the plate, calculated for position and yield very carefully. The shock wave would push the ship in the desired direction. As soon as the first bomb's effect dissipated, a second bomb would be detonated behind the plate, pushing the ship again. Repeat this until you are halfway to Mars, when you flip the ship 180 degrees, then repeat the process to slow the ship. This would require a lot of radiation shielding, but what the heck, that plate alone will weigh between 20,000 and 50,000 tons. The article said, with enough bombs, you could reasonably reach 15 to 20 % of light speed, making trips to Alpha Centauri possible in a crew's lifetime. As for the Greenies worried about radiation in space, have you any idea what's out there now? Damn good thing we have the magnetosphere and Van Allen belts.

[@UpperDarbyDetailing]

25 megatons is NOT a tiny nuke. Also, ORION was originally intended for getting to orbit. Later research found that detonating a 25 megatons nuke every 5 seconds for ten minutes in central Florida was a suboptimal solution.

[@Archgeek0]

@@UpperDarbyDetailing Where in the world are you getting 25 MT from? An Orion pulse unit was a nuclear shaped charge made to huck a disc of tungsten gas at the pusher plate - yields varied, but I'm pretty sure they were generally kiloton range, even for the huge ones meant for lifting battleships like in the novel Footfall.

[@UpperDarbyDetailing]

@@Archgeek0 I'm talking actual science, not fiction.

[@Archgeek0]

@@UpperDarbyDetailing So am I, squngus. According to the originating research, early designs came to a take-off mass of around 10,000 US tons, and for that insane mass the plan was .1kT units at 1Hz, increasing to 20kT pulses at 0.1Hz. Nothing anywhere *near* the MT range. I mentioned Footfall to use the battleship Michael as an example in extremis to highlight the absurdity of using megaton _anything_ for propulsion, but seeing as the original reference designs were aiming at some rather high payloads to begin with, it turns out that wasn't necessary.

[@brandonloewen5155]

@@Archgeek0bamb he got schooled 😂 great comments!

[@hellstromcarbunkle8857]

My personal preference is the nuclear plasma thermal engine, with fissionable plutonium finely divided, stored in neutron damped storage, and pumped out into the nozzle with duterium, fissioning in place thanks to magnetic confinement, and bathing the plasma in a 1H gas which then becomes a 23,000 deg. C plasma also confined with near "c" exhaust speed.

[@chiaeagle6720]

Thank you for covering this concept! Love seeing nuclear engines getting wider coverage. You should look into the wonderfully awesome idea of a Nuclear Salt Water Rocket or NSWR. A idea that could provide high thrust and high efficiency. Basically the closest we could (in theory) built today that would match the engines in The Expanse!

[@singularityphoenixx]

This. I want manned missions to titan in my lifetime.

[@JFrazer4303]

Orion is entirely feasible with 1960s technology. Even better today. No questions about high temperature and physical materials.

[@chiaeagle6720]

@@JFrazer4303 NSWR are more fun But I wouldn't say no too an orion drive either

[@Beryllahawk]

Love this! Really hoping that the bimodal system gets chosen and not only works, but works SPECTACULARLY well. The NERVA research - or maybe I should say, research related to nuclear engines - came back more than once between 1973 and 2003. The rocket scientists have done their best not to let this one go!

[@NowinWTF]

Fantastic video. I've been following these developments for a while, and now that Simon is talking about it, I know it's real.

[@the_kombinator]

Good thing all those peer reviewed research papers you read were full of shit.

[@stephanvonwolf5666]

Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? What kind of an idiot drags Fox politics in2science?

[@count69]

It's still all just theory and cartoons

[@stellartoad]

​@@count69lol no vission whatsoever. "Cartoons" 🤣

[@trojanhorse6029]

@@count69 I've lost count of these cartoon drawings or concepts. They must spend half their budget on animations and 'plans'.

[@williamcostigan91]

Not a bad video to release on First Contact Day.

[@BrjanBuckmaster]

Never going to happen.

[@galactus414]

I love how there was an ad just after he said, "Wait for it," perfect timing!

[@SirkyNL]

Watch a lot of your channels and can't get enough from science and the universe. More topics like these!!🤓

[@stephanvonwolf5666]

Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC, and therefore the Democratic Party? So that indicates that this is a FOX man. I don't think a FOX man has anything at all to teach me.

[@SirkyNL]

@Stephan von Wolf i could care less what he believes as long as he presents the facts in an entertaining way, which he probably does a lot better than you

[@AngeliqueStP]

@@stephanvonwolf5666 Oh, fer crissakes ....shut up.

[@sandybarnes887]

Do you watch The Science of Science Fiction channel?

[@orangejjay]

​@@stephanvonwolf5666That you think if someone doesn't like or watch MSNBC that they must watch or like Fox News says a lot more about you than his snide comment about MSNBC. I have gone full Democrat with the GOP's coronation of Trump and blatantly open hatred of women but I despise MSNBC and always have ... but I also despise Fox News even worse, as any intelligent person does.

[@Renshen1957]

This idea was conceived, tested, found practical in the late1950’s and into 1960’s as the Nuclear Impulse rocket, which was referenced in TOS Star Trek Impulse Power, and where to be used as Space Tugs to Mars. With the end of manned missions into space, and going to Mars, the already developed NEVA project was shelved.

[@TheSkyline5467]

It NEVA saw the light of day 😂

[@user-rg4vz4mb4o]

Or so you thought it was shelved.

[@zaco-km3su]

1950s and 1960s.

[@Renshen1957]

@@TheSkyline5467 the NEVA rocket concept was tested to destruction, but never put into production, never launched into space, never utilized. Seeing the light of day means it appears for the first time, but did it really see usage? Let's say it never got off the ground in the 1960s...

[@eightfive1155]

The Space Shuttle probably set back overall space exploration in hindsight, but it was the single greatest advertisement for the space program, that thing was sexy. Great video! Thank you!

[@JFrazer4303]

Wasn't attractive to anyone who understood what a kludge of conflicting requirements it was, how dangerous it was for crews, how bloody awful expensive it was, completely unable to meet flight turnaround and costs it was.

[@USSLKA-116]

How was it SEXY? It killed 14 people!

[@julesjackson4855]

Wait…wait, Doc! Are you tellin’ me that this sucker is nuclear?!

[@stephanvonwolf5666]

Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? That means this guy's out right and a fox fewer

[@AngeliqueStP]

@@stephanvonwolf5666 Anddd you've *definitely *missed his previous jokes about Fox.😂 Troll elsewhere.

[@sandybarnes887]

​@@stephanvonwolf5666 you know he lives in Prague, Europe. Right? That he reads a script written by others. Yes? Also there are more options to view than MSNBC and Fox. Horrible attempt at trolling. Try again

[@CartoonHero1986]

LMAO at the intro. Simon starts talking about going West in the 19th century before the railroads and I'm like "will they make a Donner Party joke" and you made a Donner Party joke! Love it!

[@stephanvonwolf5666]

Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? That means this dude watches Fox. Are you okay with that?

[@CartoonHero1986]

@@stephanvonwolf5666 You realize "this dude" makes fun of American politics in general just like the rest of the world laughing at the USA the last 50 years? You also realize Simon (who has reminded us of this many times himself) is a presenter reading scripts written by other people? When you hear hooves think horses not zebras... Use some critical thinking and stop making stupid assumptions.

[@AngeliqueStP]

@@stephanvonwolf5666 You've definitely missed his slagging of tRump. Go troll elsewhere, tool.

[@Lloydo79]

@@stephanvonwolf5666 you can’t be that dumb.

[@ns219000]

Movie-universe NASA spends over half its budget dealing with Matt Damon's space shenanigans.

[@xeltograit]

Every time I hear "crewed mission", I think "No, these are rather sophisticated missions, thank you..."

[@bchin4005]

Well done to this episode's author with the Iain M Banks Culture reference!

[@martinstallard2742]

1:38 a man. a plan. 7:04 race to Mars 10:53 fearsome engine 14:58 an explosive history

[@steamer1]

5:51 skip ad

[@johndawson6057]

@@steamer1 love u❤

[@rynehall9990]

Those Magnificent Men In Their Intergalactic Flying Machines, a comedic tour de force featuring an all-star cast.

[@BrokenCurtain]

Forget about Mars. Let's get to the asteroid belt and use the material there to build 100 million O'Neill cylinders. Then we can let those slowly drift to the Kuiper belt and build a billion more.

[@pollyphemeus]

something about that rocket that could "get someone to mars in 45 days". It would most likely be closer to 90 days. Bc you need to break for roughly the same amount of time you accelerate at those speeds or you'll either shoot right past mars, or slam into it. It's possible we could do a slingshot looping pattern between mars and it's moons to siphon off energy. But 45 days is a very "in laboratory conditions" statement is all.

[@perniciouspete4986]

Nope: GETTING to Mars is what he's talking about. Leaving Earth (or the moon) starts from zero velocity. All you have to do when you arrive at Mars is slow down enough to get caught by Mars' gravity. Descending from orbit whether in the space craft or a smaller lander in the opposite direction of the orbit would vastly cut down on the speed necessary to fall from orbit and slow to a safe landing..

[@chadh.johnson3550]

Wouldn't you only need to burn whatever fuel you needed to reach a desired speed? Once you reach that speed wouldn't you be able to maintain it without having to burn additional fuel? Say you wanted to go 50,000 miles per hour and you needed to burn 1 days worth of fuel to achieve it. Wouldn't you just continue traveling at that speed What would slow you down? You then travel at that speed for 43 days, when your one day away wouldn't you just need to use the same amount of fuel you used to accelerate to slow back down?

[@chadh.johnson3550]

I mean aren't asteroids, comets, planets, etc. just moving around in space at the same speed they've always been going. They don't seem to speed up or slow down.

[@PHDiaz-vv7yo]

“Flip n Burn” And think of the G’s being pulled on the occupants inside, so… “Here comes the juice”

[@1300BlueStar]

@@chadh.johnson3550 Yes, on a mars trip you burn till you reach desired speed then coast till you need to decelerate then you burn till you reach capture speed. But just because you burned fuel one day to accelerate does not mean you do one day to decelerate, you actually do less since there would be less mass to decelerate since you used mass to accelerate and you can use Mars to "scrub" speed, of coarse this is a very simplistic explanation to a complex problem.

[@rowshambow]

Would this allow you to have constant acceleration and deceleration like in the expanse? Like the flip and burn technique?

[@mrvector257]

One of the older Mazda diesel engines used to use a pressure wave supercharger. I believe it was called the "Comprex" supercharger. Really neat physics, but built up too much carbon to be reliable.

[@kl0wnkiller912]

I had an idea that I called SPACON (Space Conveyor) that would use a large space station that would be assembled in orbit and then boosted into a fast orbit between Earth and Mars. The station would be usually uninhabited but when a crew wants to go to Mars they would boost to the station, refuel and then wait for the station to approach Mars where they would hop off and land on Mars. If the SPACON was moving fast enough it would 'outrun' mars and earth several times a year. That way all they would have to do is take off from Mars as SPACON approached them on an overtake orbit. Then they wait on the station until it approaches Earth and then jump off and land back on Earth.

[@gaius_enceladus]

All that Nasa or SpaceX need to do is to hook up a spaceship to *Simon* - he's nuclear-powered! I'm betting on Simon hosting the first KZbin channel to broadcast from Mars!

[@KMCA779]

Simon would have to fight Scott Manley for that

[@zaco-km3su]

Starship will never reach Mars.

[@gaius_enceladus]

@@zaco-km3su Ahhh, but they said that "heavier-than-air" craft would never fly too............. :)

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

This right here is exactly the key. I mean I don't know if this idea will work out but we DO need some sort of way to make the trip faster and safer. Compare how getting to Oregon is via wagon train (like in the famous game) versus getting their via railroad and you'll see what I mean.

[@oliverwells8011]

I was terrible at that game

[@bentboybbz]

In space once you are not in a planets gravity, and there is no atmosphere, a tiny amount of thrust is more effective, and without anything to slow you down that tiny amount of thrust over a long period can help you achieve crazy speeds... slowing down is a bit of a problem when you get there though...if you don't slow to the right speed and insert at the right angle you could basically bounce off...and without enough thrust to correct you could end up floating through space until your end...scary stuff when you think about it lol. I hope you are having a great day/night!

[@jimmyyorkshire4495]

Space is no place for humanity.

[@AngeliqueStP]

Looking forward to Space Dysentery... 🙃

[@jamesfracasse8178]

45 days vs 6 months?

[@Aquascape_Dreaming]

Loved the MSNBC dig 😂. Full respect.

[@prettymiffedbrit]

As Thomas Sowell says, in most instances, there are only trade-offs, not solutions.

[@marcmcreynolds2827]

Something obvious enough to engineers, but perhaps more of a stretch for an economist to realize.

[@FemFridge]

@@marcmcreynolds2827 trade-offs are foundational to economic analysis. I assure you most economists are highly aware of their existence. It‘s baked into marginal utility theory, which has been the basis of mainstream economics since the late 19th century.

[@Ozturw]

Continue to be curious and come up with these famtastic videos Simon We love them

[@StitchesLovesRats]

Fellow brit here. It's not "jackarse", it's "jackass". The "ass" part refers to a donkey or mule.

[@Grehmdel]

I appreciate the Iain M Banks reference Feersum Endjinn

[@russell44]

Although Feersum is not a Culture novel ;)

[@stevencollison]

​@@russell44Not explicitly though there is reference to one of the characters being a contact agent. Been ages since I read it so can't remember better sorry!

[@OrdinaryDude]

To be fair, back in the 50's they were trying to find uses for nuclear technology for EVERYTHING. It was the new big thing, and they still hadn't worked out how dangerous it could be. Nuclear rockets though... Makes sense to me. Accidents would of course tragically kill a few people, but at least it won't be a Chernobyl type catastrophe.

[@chadimirputin2282]

Did someone say nuclear?! 😂

[@N1njaSnake]

Nucular

[@HirschyKiss]

Did someone say 18**69*?

[@rexmann1984]

Hahahaha ours actually work.

[@chadimirputin2282]

@@rexmann1984 just like your rail network? Hahaha.

[@TheBestDog]

Yay! It’s Mr. Nukechuck and Spetsnaz Osip

[@JordanLane7]

Don’t know why but your door handle was doing my head in, just being there throughout the video, apart from that probably my favourite video of yours so far

[@tehScribbles]

Although nuclear thermal rocketry can offer some advantages in terms of payload, claims of a 45-day trip to Mars using this technology are not supported by critical evaluations. The reality is that the typical ideal trajectory for a Mars transit takes approximately 180 days and requires a propulsive delta-v of about 4.2 km/s. This is only slightly more than the minimum energy trajectory of 8.5 months which requires a delta-v of approximately 3.8 km/s. However, attempting to reduce the transit time to just 140 days would require a delta-v of over 6 km/s and would result in a halving of the effective payload. Reducing the transit time further to 130 days would halve the payload again and make direct entry impossible, requiring additional deceleration burns further decreasing payload. It is important to have a basic understanding of delta-v and orbital mechanics and not to repeat dubious claims without proper evaluation. Claims of a 45-day trip to Mars are likely based on overly optimistic estimations of nuclear system mass and rare close conjunctions, while also neglecting the need for deceleration prior to atmospheric entry for fast transits and ignoring the resulting massive reductions in payload capacity.

[@Project_-jq7jw]

If you're math is correct, then good job bringing this up. I've been getting into this new game recently, Terra Invicta. In that game, you have to account for delta-v requirements. I keep finding my spaceships stuck in an orbit and not have enough fuel to get into a higher or lower orbit, due to lack of delta-v. I think a lot of people don't understand what delta-v actually is about. My current understanding is that it's basically what your change in heading and velocity needs to be. But I guess there is a more pertinent understanding of delta-v to also mean how much fuel you need to bring. Yeah, physics.

[@tehScribbles]

@@Project_-jq7jw It's largely correct, of course still noting there are variations in how well the two planets line up, and where in a specific window you actually end up launching. That's essentially correct on dV, delta is the notation for a change in something and V is velocity, deceptively simple yet quite complex when it comes to mission design. A 180-day transit tends to be the ideal, as it is also the shortest free return trajectory, if you must abort for any reason during the outbound leg you can continue out on the same orbital ellipse you're on without any burns and you return to Earth's orbit 2 years after you left and it's there in position to meet you; if you try to go to faster it decreases safety, both the ~255-day(minimum energy) and ~145 day transits have 3 year free returns, other trajectories either lack a free-return, or make it so long as to be an unusable option. As it turns out I'm a group expert and moderator for The Mars Society.

[@Project_-jq7jw]

@@tehScribbles Niiiice

[@TravelWalesWithPaul]

WOW this video was fantastic. Not being the best at science I sometimes have difficulty in understanding some of the techno-babel, but this video was very succinct.

[@ABentPaperclip]

keep in mind that the faster you go the more time you need to slow down, seems like we'd be hitting diminishing returns pretty quickly at these speeds

[@btownballer27]

Just means optimization of the process there is math and physics for that. The peak speed would just be sustained for a shorter period. The fact that the use of energy for the voyage would be fractional to our conventional methods means a win regardless. I am super enticed by the use of such technology for space travel and have been wondering why they haven't done so with nuclear powered propulsion for a while now. We as humanity need to stop fighting here and joining in space. We are running out of resources and time to get off this rock. Quantum computing and nuclear powered propulsion is our next future.

[@zaco-km3su]

@@btownballer27 They haven't done so for a simple reason: they couldn't. This is a new technology. We've been using rockets that work pretty much the same way for centuries now. YES, centuries! It won't be easy to start from scratch. There were problems with the NERVA engine. Nixon only cancelled the project in 1973, close to the end of his first term in office.

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

NTP was the propulsion of choice in the early 1950's TV "space opera" shows like SPACE PATROL, ROCKY JONES: SPACE RANGER and TOM CORBETT: SPACE CADET and was the classic "atomic rocket"

[@stevehampshire8061]

I saw the title and wondered briefly if this was the return of Orion. Interesting content anyway.

[@Nukefandango]

One day!!

[@TheGamingStoner7432]

Dude. I smoke watching your videos. I find myself drawn in. Your tone. Your sense of intrigue. Always keeps me hooked

[@whaaaaaaap]

Same.

[@perniciouspete4986]

​@@whaaaaaaap Shame.

[@leddygee1896]

At least you're learning something...

[@TheGamingStoner7432]

@@leddygee1896 helps me keep a clear mind especially if theres conspiracy theorist parts like "yea that could be a possiblitie. What about other thoughts?" Then he goes onto other thoughts.

[@stephanvonwolf5666]

Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? That means this dude is a outright Fox watcher

[@jayjackson5037]

Maybe the need to expel heat could be a third propulsion system? the right shaped reflectors could use the heats natural property of diffusion to add another small force helping the whole process.

[@juzojuzo1806]

Youre missing a propelant there mate, a.k.a. mass to expell, heat or energy in and on itself doesnt ,,propel you" , you need a leverage, something to push against in vaacuum, or something to push you, be it expelling gas or particles, or be pushed by photons or explosion

[@chiaeagle6720]

You can use asymmetric thermal radiation as a form of propulsion, however the effect is so minimal that you basically have an even worse ion drive. It might be useful on very very long slow robotic missions, where you're already headed in a direction and you could shave a tiny amount of time off anyways. But on any crewed mission the improved efficiency would probably be outweighed by the increase in mass costs to add the equipment

[@SonnyBunnyDaddyWaddy]

I need to be in a quiet room.. just to hear this guy. He speak just loud enough to hear himself. And then he whispers tidbits under his breath.

[@ididyermom3273]

NASA's Ion Propulsion engines reportedly can propel a spacecraft up to 200K MPH but it has low thrust and takes a long time to reach full acceleration. Still, much more feasible than chemical rockets.

[@deankruse2891]

That could work for deeper missions but mars needs faster acceleration and deceleration

[@salamander554]

Yea, well, I don't think you're gonna want to propel yourself to 200,000 mph too quickly anyway. You could do it in a 24hr. Period. My calculations say about thrusting you another 138 miles faster every minute for 24 hrs. To reach 200,000 mph. Not to shabby. But since you have time on your hands, maybe just reach top speed in 3 days.

[@shaider1982]

I think the nuclear engine that directly uses the thrust from fission which Scott Manley made a video on about probably only now needs enough propellant for maneuvering.

[@zaco-km3su]

That's what you think. The reality is not nearly that simple.

[@florianmassis]

Awesome video as usual 😊

[@doc_havoc00heavywing37]

Was Dual nuclear electric thermo propulsion already trademarked? DNETP drive

[@tsbrownie]

It occurs to me that relying on thrust over long times leads to the risk of missing the planet completely if the engine glitches even for a day or so.

[@ronchappel4812]

Wow i hadnt thought of that possibility!

[@sauravchhabra840]

I am sure they will have enough computational power on board to run algorithms that calculate the position relative to the target location and “drive” the rocket in case of signal loss. Similar to auto-pilot on planes.

[@tsbrownie]

@@sauravchhabra840 I mean that if they lose thrust even for 1 day, they would miss the target window.

[@pault151]

@@tsbrownie Welcome to orbital mechanics.

[@tsbrownie]

@@pault151 Thanks, but I've been intimately involved with orbital mechanics since before I was born! ;)

[@raymondjustice4846]

That was very slick about the rocket scientist and wearing a nice blazer doing a KZbin channel 😂😂😂😂. Love your sly dry humor

[@Maelthras]

Such a vehicle could never, and I cannot stress this enough. Ever enter the atmosphoere of any planet we want to inhabit. As a cruise ship to ferry goods and people back and forth, perfect.

[@MattyJ55046]

It would more realistically be a nuclear tug, never entering atmosphere. Starship could bring up the fuel to the nuclear tug and then attach itself to it. Once attached the nuclear tug would take starship to Mars.

[@aidanmargarson8910]

well if the planet doesn't really have an atmosphere per se? like mars? when radiation isn't an issue?

[@Dac85]

It's using the heat from the reactor to combust the fuel. It's not running the fuel through the reactor. The exhaust is no more radioactive than traditional chemical combustion. Obviously this is more of a concern if the vehicle, like, burns up in an atmosphere, but 1) Mars doesn't have much of an atmosphere to begin with and 2) we probably have designed safe containment that's resistant to ROD if we've felt confident enough to put the darn thing in space in the first place (the number one concern over nuclear engine anything is if the rocket blows up in the upper atmosphere of Earth, not Mars).

[@the_kombinator]

@@aidanmargarson8910 Suppose it lands on a planet. How's it gonna take off again?

[@aidanmargarson8910]

@@the_kombinatorit's established in the report that the designs are for inter-planetary travel, so there are two propulsion systems in play here the ion drive part *without knowing the numbers, produces a small acceleration for a long time building up to a high velocity, the second system heats fuel and then the expanding fuel goes out a venturi producing thrust .. that might be sufficient to reach escape velocity .. the issue is you wouldn't want it to take off from earth because if it explodes in that process then its essentially a dirty bomb and has all those issues .. however taking off from the moon or mars aren't an issue

[@biercenator]

Oh goody, I always enjoy a good science fiction story. Highly recommend Heinlein's "Rocket Jockey." That one includes a minor character who's immune to radiation poisoning. Very exciting future!

[@whiskeysierra972]

SpaceX's Starship is the Hyperloop of space craft.

[@the_kombinator]

Had to scroll WAY too far for this, wading past insane fanboi comments to get here. Fanbois who get their "knowledge" solely from KZbin videos and the Big Bang theory, without any reading whatsoever. Fantastic, just the test apes we need for such missions.

[@Futokuko]

Hyper loop is a flawed concept

[@the_kombinator]

@@Futokuko "concept" lol.

[@danielreuben1058]

Thanks for yet another space video I can share with my son. Although, I'll have to explain to him your recent fascination with cannibalism.

[@mikspurins1455]

"...microgravity and other stuff that does things to your body that watching MSNBC does to your brain..." I actually had to pause in a fit of laughter. An unexpected bit of humor, and one I wouldn't mind seeing more often in future :)

[@darksun4523]

😂😂😂 I love the placement of the ads, "Wait for it!!!". 🙈

[@NICOLAI_VET]

I just realized that Mars is the only known planet populated by only robots.

[@newshodgepodge6329]

Somebody's gonna need a lot of Dramamine. 😥

[@js_models]

We're so concerned about 400 ppm CO2 in our atmosphere, yet for some reason are desperate to colonize a planet with a 95% CO2 atmosphere.

[@marcmcreynolds2827]

Science can be a real challenge for some people -- so many interrelated facts to keep straight. Yes, probably best to just go with your gut.

[@pauljcampbell2997]

I find it frustrating that we could have done all this so much sooner!

[@snarkdragon]

Indeed, we could have landed people on Mars back in the 1980s.

[@dmarckos]

Omouamoua engines were fast! We could learn from observation. 😆

[@ericwall6219]

I'm just as shocked as anybody. There's still universities in Florida?!

[@markg.7865]

Florida has Trump University and DeSantis anti-woke State college.

[@the_kombinator]

Florida Man - Research Paper edition >"D

[@BurritooMafia]

Yeah I graduated from FIU lmao

[@seansartin8866]

Thank you for this. You always have cook things to say, but this blows me away

[@iamwill3561]

Cook things to say? 🤣

[@seansartin8866]

@@iamwill3561 as a chef and a father id like to say that this dad joke was intentional

[@mudhutproductions]

I wonder if having a flare of radiation blasting off the back of your craft would affect radio communications in any way?

[@jessepollard7132]

not directly - there would be no frequency interference.

[@JenniferA886]

Great video… well researched 👍👍👍

[@thewb8329]

The Expanse… here we come!

[@JOlivier2011]

I just can't wait to get our boot on belter neck.

[@PHDiaz-vv7yo]

Oye!!!!! Inyalowda!!!! You are all the same sasa ke!!!! If you share more, the more your bowl will be plentiful mi Kopeng!!

[@ZappWbrannigan]

Archer would approve of that tactical turtleneck Simon.

[@inigma_X]

"as watching msnbc does to your brain... ruin it." lol nice quip, and certainly true.😀

[@PhilippBrandAkatosh]

Maybe this could help, i worked this out with AI : Your theoretical scenario presents an intriguing concept that combines several current technologies and innovations. Here's a breakdown of the feasibility based on our current technology: ### 1. **Launch of a Rocket with Equipment** - **Feasibility**: Sending a large space rocket to Mars with a military-grade 3D printer, robots for manufacturing, and resource collection is technically possible. Current rockets, such as SpaceX's Starship, have the capability to carry substantial payloads to Mars. - **Payload Considerations**: The payload would need to include not just the 3D printer, but also sufficient power sources (like nuclear reactors), construction materials (like raw feedstock for 3D printing), and autonomous robots equipped for the tasks. ### 2. **3D Printing on Mars** - **Current Technology**: There are already prototypes and concepts for 3D printers that can operate in harsh environments. NASA has been exploring construction techniques using Martian regolith as a building material. - **Material Input**: The printer would require a material source, which could be mined on Mars. A military-grade printer could offer advanced capabilities to fabricate various parts necessary for construction. ### 3. **Robots for Manufacturing and Resource Collection** - **Robotics**: Autonomous robots are already in use for various tasks on Earth, including construction and mining. Sending robots that can operate in Martian conditions is feasible, although the technology would need to be rugged and capable of adaptation to the environment. - **Resource Gathering**: Robots designed to extract Martian resources like water ice and regolith would be essential for establishing a continuous supply chain for building materials and potentially even life support systems if they can harvest and process local resources. ### 4. **Nuclear Power Facility** - **Nuclear Technology**: Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are being designed and tested for use in remote or space environments, such as NASA's Kilopower project. A nuclear facility could provide a reliable energy source for manufacturing and base operations. ### 5. **Self-sufficient Manufacturing** - **Circular Manufacturing**: Ideally, such a system could make its own parts and even create additional machines or components. This concept aligns with advanced manufacturing theories such as "self-replicating machines." - **Challenges**: The complexity of the manufacturing system, including managing logistics, the energy requirements for different processes, and maintenance or repairs of the manufacturing equipment, poses challenges. ### Conclusion Overall, while there are significant technical and logistical challenges to be addressed, the components of your scenario are within the realm of possibility with our current technology. NASA, SpaceX, and other organizations are actively researching and developing technologies that could enable such operations on Mars. Success would depend on thorough mission planning, integrated systems, and continuous development of technologies that can withstand Martian conditions. Collaborations between government space agencies and commercial space enterprises would likely be crucial for implementing such a vision effectively.

[@jakeaurod]

Some people are so scared of nuclear pollution that they'll drown in non-nuclear pollution.

[@sharkarkheart9085]

Obviously if both the USSR and the USA decided to not go to Mars it was for practical reasons not "Duh, bad Richard Nixon duhhhh".

[@amalfi460]

Watching MSNBC does to your brain…..it ruins it. Simon is right again

[@stevefisher2553]

That's FAUX

[@SirGeneTX]

You forgot to mention that the pressure wave rotor rockets would use an aero spike which has also been around for decades, but now has a much more useful reason To be used. This flattens the ISP curve between atmospheric and vacuum engINes vs a bell.

[@gregedwards1087]

If Humankind chooses to stay on this planet without colonising other planets and moons in at least this system, our species will die out on this planet. All of our eggs, at this time, are in one basket. What most people do not realise is that the sooner we get this off the ground, so to speak, the better off Humankind will be.

[@samuelkebede4231]

The first honest and unbiased report on the GERD. Bravo!!!

[@eggreedgious5194]

I'm no rocket scientist, so I appreciate simple terms like "gigantic space fart".

[@faolitaruna]

It's nice that the writer credited Universe Today.

[@rackneh]

The casual dunking on MSNBC was fucking great

[@rackneh]

@@Raulsta1985 For every comment like that Simon loses another hair on his head

[@kasieream1248]

With this method when would each mode be used? And which is the larger contributor to shaving travel times down compared to ntp alone , the wave rotor or the addition of the nep mode? And would they use seperate exhaust systems for each mode?

[@daduzadude1547]

Imagine how far advanced we would be if politicians were not involved…. Or if 10% of the defense budget went into scientific research for space exploration

[@MattyJ55046]

Right, it really pisses me off. There are some perks to Chinese authoritarian government. Priorities don’t get switched every 4 to 8 years. Hell 10%, 80 billion, we would be there before the end of the decade.

[@xoxoDonkey]

Hopefully soon, 10-15yrs once all the boomers have died off or retired we may get competent people who can actually budget correctly and not just give the biggest checks to their buddies in the military circlejerk

[@wingerding]

Brings up many different types of space craft/rockets...proceeds to show the same picture for every one of them.

[@Havok121212]

Oh that dig at MSNBC was beautiful - well done sir!

[@weldonwin]

I'm just going to call it an Epstein Drive, I think everyone will agree that's simpler

[@stevefisher2553]

Aww, did your cult lose....

[@weldonwin]

@@stevefisher2553 What? I feel I'm missing some context here

[@stevefisher2553]

@weldonwin the trump cult was taught the news was fake, a hitler tactic

[@lovro4744]

I like that simon covers the themes that i want to know more about.

[@Archgeek0]

Let's not forget one of the weirdest drawbacks of nuclear thermal propulsion - _parasitic alchemy_ . "Fly far enough with your engines burning at full throttle, and your ship will turn slowly into gold, plus lithium, arsenic, chlorine, and a lot of other elements that were not aboard when you left."

[@CalamitousJonathan]

Fun Fact about space travel, there is no resistence in space. So there is nothing to slow a traveling ship down. Hitting light speed exiting the the atmosphere toward mars the only problem you'd have is stopping.

[@jrtstrategicapital560]

The best ride to mars is locked up in Lockheed Martins underground garage…Ben Rich, former CEO of skunk works did say “we can take ET home and back again”.

[@VorSaulus]

Nuclear pulse propulsion or external pulsed plasma propulsion is a hypothetical method of spacecraft propulsion that uses nuclear explosions for thrust.[1] It originated as Project Orion with support from DARPA, after a suggestion by Stanislaw Ulam in 1947.

[@amorencinteroph3428]

I say there's no reason for half measures, Uranium Salt Rocket Engines to the future! Because if you're not riding through the heavens at the head of a giant radioactive plume, what's the point? :D

[@curtisboynton]

I think in 10 years, if you are still doing these videos, your beard will be down to your knees. The wiser you are, the longer the beard

[@crazyeyez1502]

Anyone else notice KZbin considering this video as "music"? Won't let me watch this minimized...

[@col403]

Adverising a Watch that you love so much and straight after the cameras stop rolling you put your Rolex on hahaa

[@zerosaifox30]

So they would use a air cannon for continued thrust ?

[@vineheart01]

This is one of the reasons i dont see mars missions working: travel time. Its probably possible without a much faster flight mode, but there would be absolutely no way to help them if something went wrong with current speeds

[@cleaverusername]

Hi, I'm newish here, but have we had a MegaProject on Big Ben yet? I don't know very much about the process, but I'd love to learn!

[@janwarnawa7946]

Wanneer gaan ze nou eens sneller dan het licht mag ik dat nog meemaken tijdens mijn aardse bestaan