Tag Archives: propulsion methods

Project Orion

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Jack Abrams

Due to the vast distance between stellar systems, a spacecraft traveling beyond our Solar System and into a different star system must reach speeds close to the speed of the light. Project Orion was a theoretical design from the late 1950s and early 1960s that proposed using nuclear explosions for propulsion. The basic idea was […] Continue reading →

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Introduction to various spacecraft propulsion methods

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Yihao Yan

Space propulsion is different from regular propulsion methods that deal with situations on the ground or in the air. It’s also different from launch propulsion which space propulsion methods exclusively deal with propulsion systems used in vacuum of space. Before introducing different propulsion methods, there are couple of concepts that are really important related to … Continue reading Introduction to various spacecraft propulsion methods → Continue reading →

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Fission Rocket Engines: Soon?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Rivers Cornelson

NASA has revived the dreams of many optimists hopeful of smashing the dire predictions of the ideal rocket equation. Insane designs have long been dreamed of by lunatics attempting to create breakthroughs with the power of the atom, but a NASA research program in the 70’s laid encouraging groundwork for a possible fission rocket. NERVA … Continue reading Fission Rocket Engines: Soon? Continue reading →

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Project Orion: Humanity’s Best Hope?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Rivers Cornelson

In the 1950’s and 60’s, optimism about the new discoveries related to fission of atoms and available energy ran rampant. Ambitious designs of all kinds were created based around the new marvel of nuclear energy. Eager to harness the massive potential of fission and fusion reactions, scientists and engineers at NASA began to ponder the … Continue reading Project Orion: Humanity’s Best Hope? Continue reading →

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Propulsion Methods

Posted on April 25, 2016 by siyuan2016

Image Source In the class, we talk about the measures to accelerate spacecraft and satellites that one day may make interstellar travel possible for humans in their lifetime. And in this blog I would like to introduce some other practical and hypothetical propulsion methods. The first method is a practical one called ion thruster, a […] Continue reading →

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