Nuclear Explosive Propulsion For Interplanetary Travel: Extension Of The Medusa Concept For Higher Specific Impulse
£5.00
J. C. Solem. (1994), JBIS, 47, pp.229-238
Refcode: 1994.47.229
Abstract:
For interplanetary travel, both thrust and specific impulse must be high to reduce the time spent in transit. Nuclear explosive propulsion offers both. A previous paper [1], showed that the pressure pulse from a nuclear explosion was best translated to spacecraft thrust by using a very large sail or spinnaker. The impulse could be smoothed out by the elasticity of the tethers and, quite remarkably, the mass of the canopy was independent of its size and the total mass of the tethers was independent of their length.
