March 24, 2016 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast
Please consider donating to Behind the Black, by giving either a one-time contribution or a regular subscription, as outlined in the tip jar to the right. Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Today’s podcast of my appearance on the John Batchelor Show is embedded below the fold. Russia, North and South Korea, China, and of course American commercial were on the agenda.
Please consider donating to Behind the Black, by giving either a one-time contribution or a regular subscription, as outlined in the tip jar to the right. Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Today’s podcast of my appearance on the John Batchelor Show is embedded below the fold. Russia, North and South Korea, China, and of course American commercial were on the agenda.
Great segment!
For the NERVA program, in brief, they use a mini cylindrical reactor core & then run hydrogen through it to produce thrust.
As near as I understand it all– they utilize the same methodology as “normal” rocket engines, to power supply turbines, cool the engine chamber, & what-not, so once the reactor heats up enough, it becomes a self-sustaining cycle.
They use control-rods around the reactor core to control the reactor heat output. (no “giant matches or spark generators” required!)
Downside is the engine & component’s become highly radioactive & can’t be easily serviced outside of a glove-box.
(maybe best used for transporting a lot of mass, quickly, ahead of a manned-mission?)
It’s really ingenious– just hope we don’t have to pay twice for re-doing the research if we ever get back into it. For my rocket-scientist/engineering bud’s; I finally get the whole specific-impulse-second, ‘thang. Up to twice the level of chemical engines.
(I only play a rocket-scientist on the internet! “It’s all clear to me now, something wonderful is going to happen…”)
Hi Wayme, this video fits to your comment:
Nuclear Propulsion In Space 1968 NERVA Manned Mars mission NASA video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b18HtG0DOCM
Matt:
Thanks– that’s a great video.
For a short (60 page) text on all the NERVA engines/projects;
Google: “Nuclear Propulsion for Space LOC card catalog # 79-171030”