Re: On Hydrogen Fuel

The idea of manned travel to Mars using chemical propulsion is quaint:)

Face facts the travel time is just too long. To go to mars or elsewhere
is going to demand nuclear propulsion or something even better

We cant for safety reasons use nuclear for launching from earth to
orbit, which is REALLY our biggest need.

Certinally we can find a crew to take 6 or 8 months each way to mars
and a couple years there till its time to return.

the trouble with a 4 or 5 year mission its just too expensive,
requiring too many consumables, and redundant gear.

now compare that with nuclear propulsion, where the travel time is just
a few months each way, fire engines till half way out, then flip around
and decelrate the rest of the way. with a month on the surface the
mission is over before the non nuclear mission has evven arrived. that
cuts costs dramatically!

the big problem with getting out of LEO is $$$:(

NERVA the nuclear stage could of been built 30 years ago

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Nuclear rockets.
    ... The only sensible way to travel to Mars seems to be with Nuclear ... propulsion, at least until funding is in place for a manned Mars ... Presumably by 'nuclear rockets' you are referring to nuclear thermal ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Ares
    ... That means aerobraking or nuclear ... Mars cycler. ... You don't need to do much research to build a Mars cycler, ... Aerobraking and nuclear propulsion would be ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Moonlab - could the SIVB be used to put a Skylab on the Moon?
    ... Moonlab - then what? ... upper stage to an Interplanetary stage - and provided copious nuclear ... electric power for Marslab - with the SIVB doing duty as a Mission ... Module for a trip to Mars.. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: The space station is a "turkey in the sky"
    ... moonbase, a mars transfer habitation module, and a mars base - its a ... A nuclear powered skylab with a nuclear thermal rocket ... And the Saturn needn't be so costly. ... I try to imagine what it would be like if the billions spent on ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Are you listening, NASA? ARE YOU??!!!
    ... why such missions need to take so long. ... What's required, he said, is a renewed commitment to nuclear ... Spacecraft Propulsion Systems" explored this ... And the Moon is one-sixth. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)