Nuclear Fusion Rocket Could Reach Mars in 30 Days
http://www.space.com/20609-nuclear-fusion-rocket-mars.html?

Nuclear fusion, the energy source that fuels the sun and other active stars, could one day propel rockets that allow humans to go to Mars and back in 30 days, researchers say.

Fusion-powered rockets promise to solve problems of deep-space travel that have long plagued plans for manned missions to Mars — long journeys, high costs and health risks, among them. Scientists at the University of Washington and a space-propulsion company named MSNW say they are getting to closer to creating a feasible fuel for travel to other planets.

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> Fusion-powered rockets promise to solve problems of deep-space travel that have long plagued plans for manned missions to …

… extra-solar planets, the near ones anyway. For our solar system good old fission is good enough, if you want to go faster than chemical rockets can take you. For other solar systems fusion power would be a great help if it can be miniaturised.

if they use nuclear power in space I suggest they start small and work upwards

if anything goes wrong the damage will be limited and contained

they’ll need a way to decouple the spacecraft from any reactor should things go wrong (and quickly)

wookiemeister said:

if they use nuclear power in space I suggest they start small and work upwards

if anything goes wrong the damage will be limited and contained

they’ll need a way to decouple the spacecraft from any reactor should things go wrong (and quickly)

I believe that they have started small.

morrie said:

wookiemeister said:

if they use nuclear power in space I suggest they start small and work upwards

if anything goes wrong the damage will be limited and contained

they’ll need a way to decouple the spacecraft from any reactor should things go wrong (and quickly)

I believe that they have started small.

i’m seeing explosion or radiation leak that kills the crew

wookiemeister said:

morrie said:

wookiemeister said:

if they use nuclear power in space I suggest they start small and work upwards

if anything goes wrong the damage will be limited and contained

they’ll need a way to decouple the spacecraft from any reactor should things go wrong (and quickly)

I believe that they have started small.

i’m seeing explosion or radiation leak that kills the crew

Look up FUSION!

Can the electrostatic force between particles be overcome if each has significant enough AM without straight line velocity?

I do wish someone would get back onto nuclear thermal rockets.

Looking at you, China.