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Re:SpaceX test flight of Starship SN-5 [video] by jcun4128 on Wednesday August 05, 2020 @10:14PM (#24067557)
I never quite got the Orion(nuclear?) engine design eg. is it literal "nuclear explosions" or just using nuclear as a heat source.

I think they push fluid through the bells, maybe other materials(like ceramic) for the larger nozzles... can they use magnetic field to contain heat... probably not assumes it's ionized or something ha... heat still goes through magnetism. I got it, active heat destructive interface ha.

Re:SpaceX test flight of Starship SN-5 [video] by garmaine on Thursday August 06, 2020 @02:25AM (#24068587)
Literal nuclear explosions, Every few seconds, with a giant spring to even out the force.
Re:SpaceX test flight of Starship SN-5 [video] by maccam94 on Thursday August 06, 2020 @06:42PM (#24076196)
Nuclear thermal rockets are much more interesting IMO because they were actually viable and in development until Nixon killed them for no good reason. They're coming back now though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA

https://spacenews.com/momentum-grows-for-nuclear-thermal-pro... (2019)