Russia Plans Atomic-Powered Spaceship

News agency RIA-Novosti reports on the latest Russian super-villain scheme: A nuclear-powered spacecraft.

According to the report,
Roscosmos, Russia’s Federal Space Agency has a new design for a manned
spacecraft powered by a nuclear engine. Anatoly Perminov, the head of
the agency, told reporters yesterday the goal of the Megawatt-class
spaceship was “implementing large-scale space exploration programs.”

And, of course, “swallowing American spaceships in its mechanical jaws.” Kidding!

Perminov added that this new spacecraft — which will have a
preliminary design by 2012 — is supposed to help Russia maintain its
edge in space, and possibly allow travel to the Moon or Mars. But
Anatoly Koroteyev, president of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics and
head of the Keldysh research center, told RIA-Novosti that setting up
permanent base on the moon was still out of the question.

Atomic kitsch. It never goes out of style, does it? Of course, my
favorite proposal for nuclear-powered space exploration remains Project Orion.
The concept was built around a spacecraft — pictured here — that would
poop out a thermonuclear device and then ride the shockwave from the
bomb’s detonation into space. Nice idea, but the nuclear-powered pogo
stick never got past the drawing board.

About damn time somebody did it.

Posted: 11/3/2009 5:03:30 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:

Russia Plans Atomic-Powered Spaceship

News agency RIA-Novosti reports on the latest Russian super-villain scheme: A nuclear-powered spacecraft.

According to the report,Roscosmos, Russia’s Federal Space Agency has a new design for a mannedspacecraft powered by a nuclear engine. Anatoly Perminov, the head ofthe agency, told reporters yesterday the goal of the Megawatt-classspaceship was “implementing large-scale space exploration programs.”

And, of course, “swallowing American spaceships in its mechanical jaws.” Kidding!

Perminov added that this new spacecraft — which will have apreliminary design by 2012 — is supposed to help Russia maintain itsedge in space, and possibly allow travel to the Moon or Mars. ButAnatoly Koroteyev, president of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics andhead of the Keldysh research center, told RIA-Novosti that setting uppermanent base on the moon was still out of the question.

Atomic kitsch. It never goes out of style, does it? Of course, myfavorite proposal for nuclear-powered space exploration remains Project Orion.The concept was built around a spacecraft — pictured here — that wouldpoop out a thermonuclear device and then ride the shockwave from thebomb’s detonation into space. Nice idea, but the nuclear-powered pogostick never got past the drawing board.

About damn time somebody did it.

So they have a space Chernobal dream.

Posted: 11/3/2009 5:05:04 PM EDT

[#2]

Looks like the Russians want to be to have a nuclear meltdown in space too.

Posted: 11/3/2009 5:06:12 PM EDT

[#3]

Russian engineering, sounds like an oxymoron to me

Posted: 11/3/2009 5:11:01 PM EDT

[#4]

One question:

what keeps the EMP from disabling the ship?

Posted: 11/3/2009 6:55:45 PM EDT

[#5]

EMP shielding

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Russians supposedly picking up where Project Orion left off...

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Russia Plans Atomic-Powered Spaceship

Russia Plans Atomic-Powered Spaceship

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