News SpaceX F9R Dev 1 vehicle loss...
- Thread starter MaverickSawyer
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Andy44
owner: Oil Creek Astronautix
Earlier today I read on the Atomic Rocket Main Page about a test of a KIWI nuclear thermal rocket in 1965 where they purposely blew up the reactor in a test out in the desert. Now THAT's serious rocket testing. I can't imagine the cleanup!
Phil Smith
Donator
Earlier today I read on the Atomic Rocket Main Page about a test of a KIWI nuclear thermal rocket in 1965 where they purposely blew up the reactor in a test out in the desert. Now THAT's serious rocket testing. I can't imagine the cleanup!
oh yeah, that was hella nucleus show and cleanup, but ideas of Kiwi and Nerva engines were tremendous step to reach great 800 second specific impulse.. Unfortunately there are two sides to every coin...
MaverickSawyer
Acolyte of the Probe
Earlier today I read on the Atomic Rocket Main Page about a test of a KIWI nuclear thermal rocket in 1965 where they purposely blew up the reactor in a test out in the desert. Now THAT's serious rocket testing. I can't imagine the cleanup!
Yeah, that was a mess:
It appears that Atomic Rockets doesn't allow hotlinking of images, so I saved it and uploaded to Imgur for the viewing benefits of everyone here.
Explosive yield, yes. But maybe not worse in terms of long-term radiation, as many reactor byproducts much have longer half-lives than bomb fallout (plus, most of the bombs were exploded underground).
Wonder if that's why they didn't take us around the NERVA area on the tour?
ISProgram
SketchUp Orbinaut
It would appear that a blocked sensor port was the cause of the failure. They came to a conclusion fast...:shifty:
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