Adrian Tymes wrote:
> --- David Weinshenker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Well obviously you wouldn't want to test it in an
> > atmosphere, for the exact opposite reason that you
> > can't test a lot of electric propulsion methods in
> > an atmosphere!
> 
> You misunderstand: the nuclear material has to get
> into space somehow (the most coherent form of this
> objection I've heard is, "what if the rocket blows up
> and all the nuclear material rains down on us since
> the radioactive atoms themselves don't burn up?")

I thought technology had been developed (for RTG programs)
to make containers for radioactives that can survive even
an accidental re-entry...

> and even once it's out there, some people still object to
> "nukes in space".

Now that's just plain silly... space propulsion is one of the
few applications for nuclear power that _isn't_ sinfully wasteful
of the energy density. (Ocean propulsion - especially submarines - 
may be another...)

-dave w
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