Nuclear Propulsion From Earth to Mars in Just 45 Days

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  • Опубліковано 4 кві 2023
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,4 тис.

  • @megaprojects9649
    @megaprojects9649  Рік тому +25

    Check out Holzkern at www.world.holzkern.com/en_world/megaprojects and use the code "MEGA15" to get a 15% discount on all products + polishing cloth worth 15€. Thank you Holzkern for the sponsorship!

    • @jonathanperry8331
      @jonathanperry8331 Рік тому

      How would it slow down?

    • @RinksRides
      @RinksRides Рік тому

      Dems some sexy watches!

    • @backupintheday9710
      @backupintheday9710 Рік тому

      New Clear Energy is Hydro Turbines and you know it.

    • @raya.p.l5919
      @raya.p.l5919 Рік тому

      ❤u need a secret before u can experience blood wine the illuminati aka fallen angels aliens NASA what ever you want to call them in there flying tin cans. Can't leave lower Orbit because of the vacuum. That's what space x Star ship with all the thrusters to try to punch through. An destroy Mars moon were heaven is. Now u can experience Jesus healing energy an who ever u show these words can also experience all old aches and pains will be washed away takes 30 minutes best to relax and shut yr eyes.

    • @elmerrullman4853
      @elmerrullman4853 Рік тому

      0pppooooppppplpppl 3
      M

  • @donrimel7500
    @donrimel7500 Рік тому +521

    I love how this video started with rail travel 160 years ago. I remember talking to my Great Grandmother about her life being alive before the first flight of the Wright Brothers and seeing man walk on the moon during her lifetime.

    • @TheBooban
      @TheBooban Рік тому +40

      The greatest generation.

    • @michaelripley4528
      @michaelripley4528 Рік тому +44

      My dad asked my granddad : do you Think than humans Will ever visit the Moon? And that was just 5 years before that happend.
      His ansver was : Are you insaine 🤣

    • @michaelb1761
      @michaelb1761 Рік тому +51

      Yep, my great grandfather was born in 1883 and died in 1977. The changes he saw in his lifetime are just crazy. His family traveled from Iowa to San Francisco by that transcontinental rail system before he was a teenager. He was in his 30's before cars became relatively common, and he saw the advent of supersonic jets and men walking on the moon. It's crazy to think about what the equivalent would be for me.

    • @michaelripley4528
      @michaelripley4528 Рік тому +4

      @@michaelb1761 Yeah 🥰
      Future is Amazing, Im more into exploring of Mars, than growing Human life there… We do have a perfect planet, Mars is a dead end street to mankind ? But lets go explore and tourism ok😁 What is your thought at this one ?

    • @imnotyourfriendbuddy1883
      @imnotyourfriendbuddy1883 Рік тому +4

      ​@@TheBooban
      A memory from before 1903 is probably 2 generations older than the greatest generation

  • @trespire
    @trespire Рік тому +42

    Check out the steam engine at 0:45. Notice the two closest tracks with a water trough running through their center.
    Some engines had a water scoop, used for refuling (steam uses water) while still traveling at speed.
    No need to stop divert and under a water tower to refill, trains would run to a tighter schedual.

  • @csdn4483
    @csdn4483 Рік тому +92

    Fun fact - the NERVA test engines were called Kiwis because they were flightless birds. (Source - one of my professors in college actually worked on NERVA, had some interesting stories including the destruction test to see just what the maximum power output was -- no, didn't explode, however, it did shake itself apart as fuel rods were being spit out the nozzle).

    • @jessepollard7132
      @jessepollard7132 Рік тому +4

      yup. Mechanical stress that exceeds the integrity of the device can cause a LOT of problems.

    • @iridiumhydrogen8420
      @iridiumhydrogen8420 Рік тому +7

      Another fun fact is that the NERVA project was at the Nevada Test Site, Site-25.

    • @alloy11
      @alloy11 Рік тому +2

      Fuel rods just being spit out like that scarryy

    • @NoobMaster-we6ll
      @NoobMaster-we6ll 9 місяців тому +1

      ​@@iridiumhydrogen8420yeah it was call jackass plains if I ain't wrong

    • @robertromberger4708
      @robertromberger4708 Місяць тому +1

      ​@@NoobMaster-we6llJackass Flats, not plains.
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket?wprov=sfla1

  • @Wendallpie
    @Wendallpie Рік тому +142

    Favorite Mega Project to date. As a Rocket Scientist, I declare kudos for phenomenal blazer performance AND an incredibly well researched video.

    • @nswanberg
      @nswanberg Рік тому

      God created our universe with relativistic restrictions to prevent humanity from infecting civilizations.
      Life on our planet is the result of an advanced alien civilization that had to dump their septic waste on our then barren lifeless planet. See Putin.

    • @rgbreeding
      @rgbreeding Рік тому +2

      Then this should be old news to you and it shouldnt be that exciting -if you were a rocket scientist.

    • @GreyDeathVaccine
      @GreyDeathVaccine Рік тому +1

      Venus episode was better :P

    • @zachgarber9450
      @zachgarber9450 Рік тому +5

      ​@@rgbreeding seeing niche stuff you work on out in the wild is always exciting if you like what you do

    • @rgbreeding
      @rgbreeding Рік тому +1

      @@zachgarber9450 That's the point. If you truly love what you do you would have all the basics covered; e.g. rocket scientist and nuclear propulsion.
      It's well documented --not niche.

  • @slipkid35
    @slipkid35 Рік тому +129

    I was just 5 years old when we first landed on the moon and the thought of possibly still being alive to witness the dawn of the era of routine interplanetary travel makes me very happy! What a time to be alive

    • @geemanbmw
      @geemanbmw Рік тому +5

      Your 3 years older than me Keith and your right what a time to be alive to witness it all. I was fortunate to witness the last apollo 17 at night and seeing skylab go up even tho my family lived 15 miles away those F1 engines is something you don't forget hearing even from that distance..

    • @trainskitsetc
      @trainskitsetc Рік тому

      Gentlemen,
      Neither of you will see an era of routine interplanetary travel.
      I was born some 29 years after man first walked on the moon and do not see this happening in my lifetime. It's pointless, much much more difficult than the CGI vapourware manufacturers would ever have you believe.
      Then there's the detestible people that want it, for detestible reasons, generally tech billionaires with little to no grounding in reality that see it as a way to ensure their dominance over others while earth burns to enable their plans.
      Scifi is fiction because it's not real, trying to make it real is dumb. 😊

    • @parveskoyes9937
      @parveskoyes9937 Рік тому +2

      @@geemanbmw did you watch it live on TV? The moon landings I mean

    • @geemanbmw
      @geemanbmw Рік тому +2

      @Parves Koyes I recall my parents watching the last one on TV a vague recollection but I clearly remember apollo 17 lifting off that I can't get out of my mind... and then the saturn5 that took skylab I remember that clearly

    • @bigglilwayne7050
      @bigglilwayne7050 Рік тому +1

      So we made it to the moon when technologically speaking we were in a dinosaur age compared to now... Basic logic would suggest that men walking on the moon would be as common of an occurrence as transcontinental travel

  • @randycampbell6307
    @randycampbell6307 Рік тому +111

    Just to be clear the "bimodal" isn't the NTR/NEP but the modes of the reactor itself. Since it can be both a rocket thruster (NTR mode) and also a power reactor (which then powers the NEP mode) it is known as a "bimodal reactor". The "fun" part here is that by adding a liquid oxygen injector system to the NTR mode you can greatly increase the thrust of the NTR which has benefits for short length/high trust segments of the voyage. This then turns it into a TRI-modal power plant. (Might want to check out the "Triton NTR" concept)

    • @SirGeneTX
      @SirGeneTX Рік тому +5

      Building these in Kerbal is a blast

    • @stephanvonwolf5666
      @stephanvonwolf5666 Рік тому

      Did you pick up on his idiotic cut on MSNBC? That means to visit a Fox News Network man good what kind of idiot drives politics into science?

    • @randycampbell6307
      @randycampbell6307 Рік тому

      @@SirGeneTX Especially if you do it 'right' but I don't recall KSP having a 'bimodal' or "trimodal' version? Mods?

    • @davidelliott5843
      @davidelliott5843 Рік тому

      Who is going to fund this idea? Elon hates nuclear and even he is not rich enough. Then there’s the Xenon. We would need molten salt power reactors to make enough of the stuff. But Elon hates nuclear. Humans on Mars will need power. But solar energy is little better than moonlight on earth and PWR reactors are far too heavy a potentially too risky. Yet again, molten salt would do the job. Why are we not building them on earth right now?

    • @davidelliott5843
      @davidelliott5843 Рік тому

      Kirk Sorenson - a huge proponent of molten salt nuclear - was tasked by NASA to research a power source for power on the moon. It’s 24 day nights make solar pretty useless. He rediscovered the work of Alvin Weinberg on molten salt reactors. He ran a demonstration reactor at Oak Ridge. Another promising project cancelled by Richard Nixon. Sorenson literally saved the Weinburg research from destruction. Oak Ridge was about to burn the whole lot.

  • @lazarusblackwell6988
    @lazarusblackwell6988 Рік тому +6

    Finally some real progress on the space propulsion tech.

    • @marktwain368
      @marktwain368 Рік тому +1

      Factor in the covert assistance of ETs with varying agendas and this gets real interesting!

    • @lazarusblackwell6988
      @lazarusblackwell6988 Рік тому

      @@marktwain368 LOL

  • @williamcostigan91
    @williamcostigan91 Рік тому +26

    Not a bad video to release on First Contact Day.

    • @zz-nc5kx
      @zz-nc5kx 4 місяці тому

      Never going to happen.

  • @tomhoward1996
    @tomhoward1996 Рік тому +15

    There was another nuclear powered design I saw in the late 60s. it was called Orion, a name often recycled in space work. The premise was you built a REALLY BIG steel plate, with REALLY BIG springs, like coils on McPherson struts. You then built a large cabin and storage structures connected to the coils. You then exploded a tiny nuclear bomb behind the plate, calculated for position and yield very carefully. The shock wave would push the ship in the desired direction.
    As soon as the first bomb's effect dissipated, a second bomb would be detonated behind the plate, pushing the ship again. Repeat this until you are halfway to Mars, when you flip the ship 180 degrees, then repeat the process to slow the ship. This would require a lot of radiation shielding, but what the heck, that plate alone will weigh between 20,000 and 50,000 tons.
    The article said, with enough bombs, you could reasonably reach 15 to 20 % of light speed, making trips to Alpha Centauri possible in a crew's lifetime. As for the Greenies worried about radiation in space, have you any idea what's out there now? Damn good thing we have the magnetosphere and Van Allen belts.

    • @UpperDarbyDetailing
      @UpperDarbyDetailing Рік тому +6

      25 megatons is NOT a tiny nuke. Also, ORION was originally intended for getting to orbit. Later research found that detonating a 25 megatons nuke every 5 seconds for ten minutes in central Florida was a suboptimal solution.

    • @Archgeek0
      @Archgeek0 11 місяців тому +3

      @@UpperDarbyDetailing Where in the world are you getting 25 MT from? An Orion pulse unit was a nuclear shaped charge made to huck a disc of tungsten gas at the pusher plate - yields varied, but I'm pretty sure they were generally kiloton range, even for the huge ones meant for lifting battleships like in the novel Footfall.

    • @UpperDarbyDetailing
      @UpperDarbyDetailing 11 місяців тому +1

      @@Archgeek0 I'm talking actual science, not fiction.

    • @Archgeek0
      @Archgeek0 11 місяців тому +3

      @@UpperDarbyDetailing So am I, squngus. According to the originating research, early designs came to a take-off mass of around 10,000 US tons, and for that insane mass the plan was .1kT units at 1Hz, increasing to 20kT pulses at 0.1Hz. Nothing anywhere *near* the MT range. I mentioned Footfall to use the battleship Michael as an example in extremis to highlight the absurdity of using megaton _anything_ for propulsion, but seeing as the original reference designs were aiming at some rather high payloads to begin with, it turns out that wasn't necessary.

    • @brandonloewen5155
      @brandonloewen5155 4 місяці тому +1

      @@Archgeek0bamb he got schooled 😂 great comments!

  • @SirkyNL
    @SirkyNL Рік тому +37

    Watch a lot of your channels and can't get enough from science and the universe.
    More topics like these!!🤓

    • @stephanvonwolf5666
      @stephanvonwolf5666 Рік тому +1

      Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC, and therefore the Democratic Party? So that indicates that this is a FOX man. I don't think a FOX man has anything at all to teach me.

    • @SirkyNL
      @SirkyNL Рік тому +1

      @Stephan von Wolf i could care less what he believes as long as he presents the facts in an entertaining way, which he probably does a lot better than you

    • @AngeliqueStP
      @AngeliqueStP Рік тому

      @@stephanvonwolf5666 Oh, fer crissakes ....shut up.

    • @sandybarnes887
      @sandybarnes887 Рік тому

      Do you watch The Science of Science Fiction channel?

    • @orangejjay
      @orangejjay 4 місяці тому

      ​@@stephanvonwolf5666That you think if someone doesn't like or watch MSNBC that they must watch or like Fox News says a lot more about you than his snide comment about MSNBC.
      I have gone full Democrat with the GOP's coronation of Trump and blatantly open hatred of women but I despise MSNBC and always have ... but I also despise Fox News even worse, as any intelligent person does.

  • @chiaeagle6720
    @chiaeagle6720 Рік тому +18

    Thank you for covering this concept! Love seeing nuclear engines getting wider coverage.
    You should look into the wonderfully awesome idea of a Nuclear Salt Water Rocket or NSWR. A idea that could provide high thrust and high efficiency. Basically the closest we could (in theory) built today that would match the engines in The Expanse!

    • @singularityphoenixx
      @singularityphoenixx Рік тому +4

      This. I want manned missions to titan in my lifetime.

    • @JFrazer4303
      @JFrazer4303 Рік тому

      Orion is entirely feasible with 1960s technology. Even better today. No questions about high temperature and physical materials.

    • @chiaeagle6720
      @chiaeagle6720 Рік тому

      @@JFrazer4303 NSWR are more fun
      But I wouldn't say no too an orion drive either

  • @Beryllahawk
    @Beryllahawk Рік тому +11

    Love this! Really hoping that the bimodal system gets chosen and not only works, but works SPECTACULARLY well. The NERVA research - or maybe I should say, research related to nuclear engines - came back more than once between 1973 and 2003. The rocket scientists have done their best not to let this one go!

  • @hellstromcarbunkle8857
    @hellstromcarbunkle8857 Рік тому +7

    My personal preference is the nuclear plasma thermal engine, with fissionable plutonium finely divided, stored in neutron damped storage, and pumped out into the nozzle with duterium, fissioning in place thanks to magnetic confinement, and bathing the plasma in a 1H gas which then becomes a 23,000 deg. C plasma also confined with near "c" exhaust speed.

  • @NowinWTF
    @NowinWTF Рік тому +22

    Fantastic video. I've been following these developments for a while, and now that Simon is talking about it, I know it's real.

    • @the_kombinator
      @the_kombinator Рік тому

      Good thing all those peer reviewed research papers you read were full of shit.

    • @stephanvonwolf5666
      @stephanvonwolf5666 Рік тому

      Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? What kind of an idiot drags Fox politics in2science?

    • @count69
      @count69 Рік тому

      It's still all just theory and cartoons

    • @stellartoad
      @stellartoad 3 місяці тому

      ​@@count69lol no vission whatsoever. "Cartoons" 🤣

  • @jaypaint4855
    @jaypaint4855 Рік тому +17

    Wait…wait, Doc! Are you tellin’ me that this sucker is nuclear?!

    • @stephanvonwolf5666
      @stephanvonwolf5666 Рік тому +1

      Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? That means this guy's out right and a fox fewer

    • @AngeliqueStP
      @AngeliqueStP Рік тому +1

      @@stephanvonwolf5666 Anddd you've *definitely *missed his previous jokes about Fox.😂
      Troll elsewhere.

    • @sandybarnes887
      @sandybarnes887 Рік тому +1

      ​@@stephanvonwolf5666 you know he lives in Prague, Europe. Right? That he reads a script written by others. Yes? Also there are more options to view than MSNBC and Fox. Horrible attempt at trolling. Try again

  • @galactus414
    @galactus414 Рік тому +5

    I love how there was an ad just after he said, "Wait for it," perfect timing!

  • @Ozturw
    @Ozturw Рік тому +3

    Continue to be curious and come up with these famtastic videos Simon
    We love them

  • @OGTylerP
    @OGTylerP 5 місяців тому +2

    what a time to be alive...45 days to mars awhile we're still killing eachother because we can't get along.. lol

  • @CartoonHero1986
    @CartoonHero1986 Рік тому +7

    LMAO at the intro. Simon starts talking about going West in the 19th century before the railroads and I'm like "will they make a Donner Party joke" and you made a Donner Party joke! Love it!

    • @stephanvonwolf5666
      @stephanvonwolf5666 Рік тому +1

      Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? That means this dude watches Fox. Are you okay with that?

    • @CartoonHero1986
      @CartoonHero1986 Рік тому +3

      @@stephanvonwolf5666 You realize "this dude" makes fun of American politics in general just like the rest of the world laughing at the USA the last 50 years? You also realize Simon (who has reminded us of this many times himself) is a presenter reading scripts written by other people?
      When you hear hooves think horses not zebras... Use some critical thinking and stop making stupid assumptions.

    • @AngeliqueStP
      @AngeliqueStP Рік тому

      @@stephanvonwolf5666 You've definitely missed his slagging of tRump. Go troll elsewhere, tool.

    • @lennoxgilbey1833
      @lennoxgilbey1833 Рік тому

      @@stephanvonwolf5666 you can’t be that dumb.

  • @tehScribbles
    @tehScribbles Рік тому +10

    Although nuclear thermal rocketry can offer some advantages in terms of payload, claims of a 45-day trip to Mars using this technology are not supported by critical evaluations. The reality is that the typical ideal trajectory for a Mars transit takes approximately 180 days and requires a propulsive delta-v of about 4.2 km/s. This is only slightly more than the minimum energy trajectory of 8.5 months which requires a delta-v of approximately 3.8 km/s. However, attempting to reduce the transit time to just 140 days would require a delta-v of over 6 km/s and would result in a halving of the effective payload. Reducing the transit time further to 130 days would halve the payload again and make direct entry impossible, requiring additional deceleration burns further decreasing payload. It is important to have a basic understanding of delta-v and orbital mechanics and not to repeat dubious claims without proper evaluation. Claims of a 45-day trip to Mars are likely based on overly optimistic estimations of nuclear system mass and rare close conjunctions, while also neglecting the need for deceleration prior to atmospheric entry for fast transits and ignoring the resulting massive reductions in payload capacity.

    • @Project_-jq7jw
      @Project_-jq7jw 28 днів тому +1

      If you're math is correct, then good job bringing this up. I've been getting into this new game recently, Terra Invicta. In that game, you have to account for delta-v requirements. I keep finding my spaceships stuck in an orbit and not have enough fuel to get into a higher or lower orbit, due to lack of delta-v.
      I think a lot of people don't understand what delta-v actually is about. My current understanding is that it's basically what your change in heading and velocity needs to be. But I guess there is a more pertinent understanding of delta-v to also mean how much fuel you need to bring. Yeah, physics.

    • @tehScribbles
      @tehScribbles 28 днів тому

      @@Project_-jq7jw It's largely correct, of course still noting there are variations in how well the two planets line up, and where in a specific window you actually end up launching. That's essentially correct on dV, delta is the notation for a change in something and V is velocity, deceptively simple yet quite complex when it comes to mission design. A 180-day transit tends to be the ideal, as it is also the shortest free return trajectory, if you must abort for any reason during the outbound leg you can continue out on the same orbital ellipse you're on without any burns and you return to Earth's orbit 2 years after you left and it's there in position to meet you; if you try to go to faster it decreases safety, both the ~255-day(minimum energy) and ~145 day transits have 3 year free returns, other trajectories either lack a free-return, or make it so long as to be an unusable option. As it turns out I'm a group expert and moderator for The Mars Society.

    • @Project_-jq7jw
      @Project_-jq7jw 23 дні тому

      @@tehScribbles Niiiice

  • @Renshen1957
    @Renshen1957 Рік тому +9

    This idea was conceived, tested, found practical in the late1950’s and into 1960’s as the Nuclear Impulse rocket, which was referenced in TOS Star Trek Impulse Power, and where to be used as Space Tugs to Mars. With the end of manned missions into space, and going to Mars, the already developed NEVA project was shelved.

    • @TheSkyline5467
      @TheSkyline5467 Рік тому +3

      It NEVA saw the light of day 😂

    • @user-rg4vz4mb4o
      @user-rg4vz4mb4o 10 місяців тому

      Or so you thought it was shelved.

    • @zaco-km3su
      @zaco-km3su 6 місяців тому

      1950s and 1960s.

    • @Renshen1957
      @Renshen1957 6 місяців тому

      @@TheSkyline5467 the NEVA rocket concept was tested to destruction, but never put into production, never launched into space, never utilized. Seeing the light of day means it appears for the first time, but did it really see usage? Let's say it never got off the ground in the 1960s...

  • @lovro4744
    @lovro4744 Рік тому +1

    I like that simon covers the themes that i want to know more about.

  • @Grehmdel
    @Grehmdel Рік тому +4

    I appreciate the Iain M Banks reference
    Feersum Endjinn

    • @russell44
      @russell44 Рік тому

      Although Feersum is not a Culture novel ;)

  • @florianmassis
    @florianmassis Рік тому +4

    Awesome video as usual 😊

  • @stevehampshire8061
    @stevehampshire8061 Рік тому +3

    I saw the title and wondered briefly if this was the return of Orion. Interesting content anyway.

  • @seansartin8866
    @seansartin8866 Рік тому +2

    Thank you for this. You always have cook things to say, but this blows me away

    • @iamwill3561
      @iamwill3561 Рік тому

      Cook things to say? 🤣

    • @seansartin8866
      @seansartin8866 Рік тому +1

      @@iamwill3561 as a chef and a father id like to say that this dad joke was intentional

  • @JenniferA886
    @JenniferA886 Рік тому +2

    Great video… well researched 👍👍👍

  • @xeltograit
    @xeltograit Рік тому +3

    Every time I hear "crewed mission", I think "No, these are rather sophisticated missions, thank you..."

  • @gaius_enceladus
    @gaius_enceladus Рік тому +20

    All that Nasa or SpaceX need to do is to hook up a spaceship to *Simon* - he's nuclear-powered!
    I'm betting on Simon hosting the first UA-cam channel to broadcast from Mars!

    • @KMCA779
      @KMCA779 Рік тому +2

      Simon would have to fight Scott Manley for that

    • @zaco-km3su
      @zaco-km3su 6 місяців тому

      Starship will never reach Mars.

  • @TravelWalesWithPaul
    @TravelWalesWithPaul 5 місяців тому +1

    WOW this video was fantastic. Not being the best at science I sometimes have difficulty in understanding some of the techno-babel, but this video was very succinct.

  • @JordanLane7
    @JordanLane7 Рік тому +1

    Don’t know why but your door handle was doing my head in, just being there throughout the video, apart from that probably my favourite video of yours so far

  • @prettymiffedbrit
    @prettymiffedbrit Рік тому +17

    As Thomas Sowell says, in most instances, there are only trade-offs, not solutions.

    • @marcmcreynolds2827
      @marcmcreynolds2827 Рік тому +2

      Something obvious enough to engineers, but perhaps more of a stretch for an economist to realize.

  • @mrvector257
    @mrvector257 Рік тому +6

    One of the older Mazda diesel engines used to use a pressure wave supercharger. I believe it was called the "Comprex" supercharger. Really neat physics, but built up too much carbon to be reliable.

  • @ns219000
    @ns219000 Рік тому +2

    Movie-universe NASA spends over half its budget dealing with Matt Damon's space shenanigans.

  • @dmarckos
    @dmarckos Рік тому +2

    Omouamoua engines were fast!
    We could learn from observation. 😆

  • @eightfive1155
    @eightfive1155 Рік тому +7

    The Space Shuttle probably set back overall space exploration in hindsight, but it was the single greatest advertisement for the space program, that thing was sexy. Great video! Thank you!

    • @JFrazer4303
      @JFrazer4303 Рік тому +1

      Wasn't attractive to anyone who understood what a kludge of conflicting requirements it was, how dangerous it was for crews, how bloody awful expensive it was, completely unable to meet flight turnaround and costs it was.

    • @USSLKA-116
      @USSLKA-116 Рік тому +1

      How was it SEXY? It killed 14 people!

  • @JohnSmith-zw8vp
    @JohnSmith-zw8vp Рік тому +18

    This right here is exactly the key. I mean I don't know if this idea will work out but we DO need some sort of way to make the trip faster and safer. Compare how getting to Oregon is via wagon train (like in the famous game) versus getting their via railroad and you'll see what I mean.

    • @oliverwells8011
      @oliverwells8011 Рік тому

      I was terrible at that game

    • @bentboybbz
      @bentboybbz Рік тому +1

      In space once you are not in a planets gravity, and there is no atmosphere, a tiny amount of thrust is more effective, and without anything to slow you down that tiny amount of thrust over a long period can help you achieve crazy speeds... slowing down is a bit of a problem when you get there though...if you don't slow to the right speed and insert at the right angle you could basically bounce off...and without enough thrust to correct you could end up floating through space until your end...scary stuff when you think about it lol. I hope you are having a great day/night!

    • @jimmyyorkshire4495
      @jimmyyorkshire4495 Рік тому +1

      Space is no place for humanity.

    • @AngeliqueStP
      @AngeliqueStP Рік тому

      Looking forward to Space Dysentery... 🙃

    • @jamesfracasse8178
      @jamesfracasse8178 Рік тому

      45 days vs 6 months?

  • @clarencehopkins7832
    @clarencehopkins7832 10 місяців тому

    Excellent stuff bro

  • @SpacePatrollerLaser
    @SpacePatrollerLaser Рік тому +1

    NTP was the propulsion of choice in the early 1950's TV "space opera" shows like SPACE PATROL, ROCKY JONES: SPACE RANGER and TOM CORBETT: SPACE CADET and was the classic "atomic rocket"

  • @martinstallard2742
    @martinstallard2742 Рік тому +8

    1:38 a man.
    a plan.
    7:04 race to Mars
    10:53 fearsome engine
    14:58 an explosive history

    • @steamer1
      @steamer1 Рік тому +2

      5:51 skip ad

    • @johndawson6057
      @johndawson6057 Рік тому

      @@steamer1 love u❤

    • @rynehall9990
      @rynehall9990 Рік тому

      Those Magnificent Men In Their Intergalactic Flying Machines, a comedic tour de force featuring an all-star cast.

  • @pollyphemeus
    @pollyphemeus Рік тому +12

    something about that rocket that could "get someone to mars in 45 days". It would most likely be closer to 90 days. Bc you need to break for roughly the same amount of time you accelerate at those speeds or you'll either shoot right past mars, or slam into it. It's possible we could do a slingshot looping pattern between mars and it's moons to siphon off energy. But 45 days is a very "in laboratory conditions" statement is all.

    • @perniciouspete4986
      @perniciouspete4986 Рік тому +1

      Nope: GETTING to Mars is what he's talking about. Leaving Earth (or the moon) starts from zero velocity. All you have to do when you arrive at Mars is slow down enough to get caught by Mars' gravity. Descending from orbit whether in the space craft or a smaller lander in the opposite direction of the orbit would vastly cut down on the speed necessary to fall from orbit and slow to a safe landing..

    • @chadh.johnson3550
      @chadh.johnson3550 Рік тому

      Wouldn't you only need to burn whatever fuel you needed to reach a desired speed? Once you reach that speed wouldn't you be able to maintain it without having to burn additional fuel? Say you wanted to go 50,000 miles per hour and you needed to burn 1 days worth of fuel to achieve it. Wouldn't you just continue traveling at that speed What would slow you down? You then travel at that speed for 43 days, when your one day away wouldn't you just need to use the same amount of fuel you used to accelerate to slow back down?

    • @chadh.johnson3550
      @chadh.johnson3550 Рік тому

      I mean aren't asteroids, comets, planets, etc. just moving around in space at the same speed they've always been going. They don't seem to speed up or slow down.

    • @PHDiaz-vv7yo
      @PHDiaz-vv7yo Рік тому +4

      “Flip n Burn”
      And think of the G’s being pulled on the occupants inside, so…
      “Here comes the juice”

    • @1300BlueStar
      @1300BlueStar Рік тому +1

      @@chadh.johnson3550 Yes, on a mars trip you burn till you reach desired speed then coast till you need to decelerate then you burn till you reach capture speed. But just because you burned fuel one day to accelerate does not mean you do one day to decelerate, you actually do less since there would be less mass to decelerate since you used mass to accelerate and you can use Mars to "scrub" speed, of coarse this is a very simplistic explanation to a complex problem.

  • @Derekzparty
    @Derekzparty Рік тому +2

    Any advanced alien civilization watching are surely going to mock us.
    Would be like watching the Beverly hillbillies driving down a street ...
    "Look at those monkeys strapping nuclear bombs to the back of their craft for propulsion and polluting the universe with radioactivity. They even attached a laser pen to the rear!"

    • @kaboom4679
      @kaboom4679 Рік тому

      I hope somebody puts a " get in , sit down , shut up , and hold on " bumper sticker on it .

  • @iSleepy59
    @iSleepy59 Рік тому

    Yes - Favorite mega projects video!

  • @chadimirputin2282
    @chadimirputin2282 Рік тому +381

    Did someone say nuclear?! 😂

  • @ABentPaperclip
    @ABentPaperclip Рік тому +4

    keep in mind that the faster you go the more time you need to slow down, seems like we'd be hitting diminishing returns pretty quickly at these speeds

    • @btownballer27
      @btownballer27 Рік тому

      Just means optimization of the process there is math and physics for that. The peak speed would just be sustained for a shorter period. The fact that the use of energy for the voyage would be fractional to our conventional methods means a win regardless. I am super enticed by the use of such technology for space travel and have been wondering why they haven't done so with nuclear powered propulsion for a while now. We as humanity need to stop fighting here and joining in space. We are running out of resources and time to get off this rock. Quantum computing and nuclear powered propulsion is our next future.

    • @zaco-km3su
      @zaco-km3su 6 місяців тому

      @@btownballer27
      They haven't done so for a simple reason: they couldn't. This is a new technology. We've been using rockets that work pretty much the same way for centuries now. YES, centuries! It won't be easy to start from scratch. There were problems with the NERVA engine. Nixon only cancelled the project in 1973, close to the end of his first term in office.

  • @danielreuben1058
    @danielreuben1058 Рік тому +1

    Thanks for yet another space video I can share with my son. Although, I'll have to explain to him your recent fascination with cannibalism.

  • @bchin4005
    @bchin4005 Рік тому +2

    Well done to this episode's author with the Iain M Banks Culture reference!

  • @jayjackson5037
    @jayjackson5037 Рік тому +3

    Maybe the need to expel heat could be a third propulsion system? the right shaped reflectors could use the heats natural property of diffusion to add another small force helping the whole process.

    • @juzojuzo1806
      @juzojuzo1806 Рік тому +1

      Youre missing a propelant there mate, a.k.a. mass to expell, heat or energy in and on itself doesnt ,,propel you" , you need a leverage, something to push against in vaacuum, or something to push you, be it expelling gas or particles, or be pushed by photons or explosion

    • @chiaeagle6720
      @chiaeagle6720 Рік тому +1

      You can use asymmetric thermal radiation as a form of propulsion, however the effect is so minimal that you basically have an even worse ion drive.
      It might be useful on very very long slow robotic missions, where you're already headed in a direction and you could shave a tiny amount of time off anyways.
      But on any crewed mission the improved efficiency would probably be outweighed by the increase in mass costs to add the equipment

  • @ididyermom3273
    @ididyermom3273 Рік тому +4

    NASA's Ion Propulsion engines reportedly can propel a spacecraft up to 200K MPH but it has low thrust and takes a long time to reach full acceleration. Still, much more feasible than chemical rockets.

    • @deankruse2891
      @deankruse2891 Рік тому +1

      That could work for deeper missions but mars needs faster acceleration and deceleration

    • @salamander554
      @salamander554 4 місяці тому

      Yea, well, I don't think you're gonna want to propel yourself to 200,000 mph too quickly anyway. You could do it in a 24hr. Period. My calculations say about thrusting you another 138 miles faster every minute for 24 hrs. To reach 200,000 mph. Not to shabby. But since you have time on your hands, maybe just reach top speed in 3 days.

  • @raymondjustice4846
    @raymondjustice4846 Рік тому

    That was very slick about the rocket scientist and wearing a nice blazer doing a UA-cam channel 😂😂😂😂. Love your sly dry humor

  • @BrokenCurtain
    @BrokenCurtain Рік тому +2

    Forget about Mars.
    Let's get to the asteroid belt and use the material there to build 100 million O'Neill cylinders.
    Then we can let those slowly drift to the Kuiper belt and build a billion more.

  • @TheGamingStoner7432
    @TheGamingStoner7432 Рік тому +23

    Dude. I smoke watching your videos. I find myself drawn in. Your tone. Your sense of intrigue. Always keeps me hooked

    • @whaaaaaaap
      @whaaaaaaap Рік тому +1

      Same.

    • @perniciouspete4986
      @perniciouspete4986 Рік тому +2

      ​@@whaaaaaaap Shame.

    • @leddygee1896
      @leddygee1896 Рік тому

      At least you're learning something...

    • @TheGamingStoner7432
      @TheGamingStoner7432 Рік тому +1

      @@leddygee1896 helps me keep a clear mind especially if theres conspiracy theorist parts like "yea that could be a possiblitie. What about other thoughts?" Then he goes onto other thoughts.

    • @stephanvonwolf5666
      @stephanvonwolf5666 Рік тому +1

      Did you pick up on his cut on MSNBC? That means this dude is a outright Fox watcher

  • @Maelthras
    @Maelthras Рік тому +5

    Such a vehicle could never, and I cannot stress this enough. Ever enter the atmosphoere of any planet we want to inhabit. As a cruise ship to ferry goods and people back and forth, perfect.

    • @MattyJ55046
      @MattyJ55046 Рік тому +4

      It would more realistically be a nuclear tug, never entering atmosphere. Starship could bring up the fuel to the nuclear tug and then attach itself to it. Once attached the nuclear tug would take starship to Mars.

    • @aidanmargarson8910
      @aidanmargarson8910 Рік тому

      well if the planet doesn't really have an atmosphere per se? like mars? when radiation isn't an issue?

    • @Dac85
      @Dac85 Рік тому +2

      It's using the heat from the reactor to combust the fuel. It's not running the fuel through the reactor. The exhaust is no more radioactive than traditional chemical combustion.
      Obviously this is more of a concern if the vehicle, like, burns up in an atmosphere, but 1) Mars doesn't have much of an atmosphere to begin with and 2) we probably have designed safe containment that's resistant to ROD if we've felt confident enough to put the darn thing in space in the first place (the number one concern over nuclear engine anything is if the rocket blows up in the upper atmosphere of Earth, not Mars).

    • @the_kombinator
      @the_kombinator Рік тому

      @@aidanmargarson8910 Suppose it lands on a planet. How's it gonna take off again?

    • @aidanmargarson8910
      @aidanmargarson8910 Рік тому

      @@the_kombinatorit's established in the report that the designs are for inter-planetary travel, so there are two propulsion systems in play here the ion drive part *without knowing the numbers, produces a small acceleration for a long time building up to a high velocity, the second system heats fuel and then the expanding fuel goes out a venturi producing thrust .. that might be sufficient to reach escape velocity .. the issue is you wouldn't want it to take off from earth because if it explodes in that process then its essentially a dirty bomb and has all those issues .. however taking off from the moon or mars aren't an issue

  • @Joez86
    @Joez86 Рік тому

    Brilliant episode

  • @darksun4523
    @darksun4523 Рік тому

    😂😂😂 I love the placement of the ads, "Wait for it!!!". 🙈

  • @whiskeysierra972
    @whiskeysierra972 Рік тому +3

    SpaceX's Starship is the Hyperloop of space craft.

    • @the_kombinator
      @the_kombinator Рік тому +3

      Had to scroll WAY too far for this, wading past insane fanboi comments to get here. Fanbois who get their "knowledge" solely from UA-cam videos and the Big Bang theory, without any reading whatsoever.
      Fantastic, just the test apes we need for such missions.

    • @Futokuko
      @Futokuko Рік тому +1

      Hyper loop is a flawed concept

    • @the_kombinator
      @the_kombinator Рік тому

      @@Futokuko "concept" lol.

  • @newshodgepodge6329
    @newshodgepodge6329 Рік тому +3

    Somebody's gonna need a lot of Dramamine. 😥

  • @dreamchasergarage690
    @dreamchasergarage690 Рік тому

    You had me at supercharger. I'm all in! :)

  • @samuelkebede4231
    @samuelkebede4231 Рік тому

    The first honest and unbiased report on the GERD. Bravo!!!

  • @tsbrownie
    @tsbrownie Рік тому +10

    It occurs to me that relying on thrust over long times leads to the risk of missing the planet completely if the engine glitches even for a day or so.

    • @ronchappel4812
      @ronchappel4812 Рік тому +4

      Wow i hadnt thought of that possibility!

    • @sauravchhabra840
      @sauravchhabra840 Рік тому +1

      I am sure they will have enough computational power on board to run algorithms that calculate the position relative to the target location and “drive” the rocket in case of signal loss. Similar to auto-pilot on planes.

    • @tsbrownie
      @tsbrownie Рік тому +1

      @@sauravchhabra840 I mean that if they lose thrust even for 1 day, they would miss the target window.

    • @pault151
      @pault151 Рік тому +2

      @@tsbrownie Welcome to orbital mechanics.

    • @tsbrownie
      @tsbrownie Рік тому +1

      @@pault151 Thanks, but I've been intimately involved with orbital mechanics since before I was born! ;)

  • @ericwall6219
    @ericwall6219 Рік тому +7

    I'm just as shocked as anybody.
    There's still universities in Florida?!

    • @markg.7865
      @markg.7865 Рік тому +1

      Florida has Trump University and DeSantis anti-woke State college.

    • @the_kombinator
      @the_kombinator Рік тому +2

      Florida Man - Research Paper edition >"D

    • @burritomafia352
      @burritomafia352 Рік тому +1

      Yeah I graduated from FIU lmao

  • @raymondjustice4846
    @raymondjustice4846 Рік тому

    You should do a series of modern day additions to wonders of like the three famous dome stadiums in America. Like the astrodome and the Superdome

  • @mikesmicroworlds4566
    @mikesmicroworlds4566 Рік тому +1

    You have so many channels and there all awesome lmao

  • @mikspurins1455
    @mikspurins1455 Рік тому +4

    "...microgravity and other stuff that does things to your body that watching MSNBC does to your brain..."
    I actually had to pause in a fit of laughter. An unexpected bit of humor, and one I wouldn't mind seeing more often in future :)

  • @mudhutproductions
    @mudhutproductions Рік тому +4

    I wonder if having a flare of radiation blasting off the back of your craft would affect radio communications in any way?

    • @jessepollard7132
      @jessepollard7132 Рік тому

      not directly - there would be no frequency interference.

  • @SirGeneTX
    @SirGeneTX Рік тому +1

    You forgot to mention that the pressure wave rotor rockets would use an aero spike which has also been around for decades, but now has a much more useful reason To be used. This flattens the ISP curve between atmospheric and vacuum engINes vs a bell.

  • @damianfirecaster7230
    @damianfirecaster7230 Рік тому

    great video on NTP

  • @klocugh12
    @klocugh12 Рік тому +8

    Dat MSNBC joke 😂

  • @pauljcampbell2997
    @pauljcampbell2997 Рік тому +4

    I find it frustrating that we could have done all this so much sooner!

    • @snarkdragon
      @snarkdragon Рік тому +1

      Indeed, we could have landed people on Mars back in the 1980s.

  • @shaider1982
    @shaider1982 Рік тому +3

    I think the nuclear engine that directly uses the thrust from fission which Scott Manley made a video on about probably only now needs enough propellant for maneuvering.

    • @zaco-km3su
      @zaco-km3su 6 місяців тому

      That's what you think. The reality is not nearly that simple.

  • @jayhope615
    @jayhope615 Рік тому

    I thought about this before it was even thought of then a few years later i start seeing more and more about it..This has happened to a lot of recent inventions..I swear somebody is reading my mind for ideas then creating them..

  • @inigma_ITC
    @inigma_ITC Рік тому +3

    "as watching msnbc does to your brain... ruin it." lol nice quip, and certainly true.😀

  • @thewb8329
    @thewb8329 Рік тому +6

    The Expanse… here we come!

    • @JOlivier2011
      @JOlivier2011 Рік тому +1

      I just can't wait to get our boot on belter neck.

    • @PHDiaz-vv7yo
      @PHDiaz-vv7yo Рік тому

      Oye!!!!! Inyalowda!!!! You are all the same sasa ke!!!!
      If you share more, the more your bowl will be plentiful mi Kopeng!!

  • @rowshambow
    @rowshambow 8 місяців тому +2

    Would this allow you to have constant acceleration and deceleration like in the expanse? Like the flip and burn technique?

  • @wildbill7267
    @wildbill7267 Рік тому

    “Word salad” 😅 I’m stealing that!

  • @daduzadude1547
    @daduzadude1547 Рік тому +5

    Imagine how far advanced we would be if politicians were not involved….
    Or if 10% of the defense budget went into scientific research for space exploration

    • @MattyJ55046
      @MattyJ55046 Рік тому +1

      Right, it really pisses me off. There are some perks to Chinese authoritarian government. Priorities don’t get switched every 4 to 8 years. Hell 10%, 80 billion, we would be there before the end of the decade.

    • @xoxoDonkey
      @xoxoDonkey Рік тому

      Hopefully soon, 10-15yrs once all the boomers have died off or retired we may get competent people who can actually budget correctly and not just give the biggest checks to their buddies in the military circlejerk

  • @rackneh
    @rackneh Рік тому +4

    The casual dunking on MSNBC was fucking great

    • @rackneh
      @rackneh Рік тому

      @@Raulsta1985 For every comment like that Simon loses another hair on his head

  • @col403
    @col403 Рік тому

    Adverising a Watch that you love so much and straight after the cameras stop rolling you put your Rolex on hahaa

  • @frankkoester257
    @frankkoester257 9 місяців тому

    That absolutely is one hell of a sharp blazer

  • @amalfi460
    @amalfi460 Рік тому +5

    Watching MSNBC does to your brain…..it ruins it. Simon is right again

  • @jakeaurod
    @jakeaurod Рік тому +3

    Some people are so scared of nuclear pollution that they'll drown in non-nuclear pollution.

  • @NellsMechanicalManCave
    @NellsMechanicalManCave Рік тому

    "Cluster Headaches "
    They would be giving a bad day !!!!

  • @OrdinaryDude
    @OrdinaryDude Рік тому +2

    To be fair, back in the 50's they were trying to find uses for nuclear technology for EVERYTHING. It was the new big thing, and they still hadn't worked out how dangerous it could be. Nuclear rockets though... Makes sense to me. Accidents would of course tragically kill a few people, but at least it won't be a Chernobyl type catastrophe.

  • @eggreedgious5194
    @eggreedgious5194 Рік тому +3

    I'm no rocket scientist, so I appreciate simple terms like "gigantic space fart".

  • @gregedwards1087
    @gregedwards1087 Рік тому +3

    If Humankind chooses to stay on this planet without colonising other planets and moons in at least this system, our species will die out on this planet.
    All of our eggs, at this time, are in one basket.
    What most people do not realise is that the sooner we get this off the ground, so to speak, the better off Humankind will be.

  • @Aaron-ox8rl
    @Aaron-ox8rl Рік тому

    The bandaid returned for the ad read, nice!

  • @johnsteinmetz4000
    @johnsteinmetz4000 10 місяців тому

    Can you do an episode specifically on the NASA NERVA rocket engine. It's a very interesting design and is amazing at what they were able to achieve more than 50 years ago.

  • @Havok121212
    @Havok121212 Рік тому +5

    Oh that dig at MSNBC was beautiful - well done sir!

    • @weldonwin
      @weldonwin Рік тому

      I'm just going to call it an Epstein Drive, I think everyone will agree that's simpler

    • @stevefisher2553
      @stevefisher2553 Рік тому

      Aww, did your cult lose....

    • @weldonwin
      @weldonwin Рік тому +1

      @@stevefisher2553 What? I feel I'm missing some context here

    • @stevefisher2553
      @stevefisher2553 Рік тому

      @weldonwin the trump cult was taught the news was fake, a hitler tactic

  • @cleaverusername
    @cleaverusername Рік тому +1

    Hi, I'm newish here, but have we had a MegaProject on Big Ben yet? I don't know very much about the process, but I'd love to learn!

  • @joshuanicolai4776
    @joshuanicolai4776 Рік тому +1

    Would this pressure wave supercharger work similarly to the exhaust expansion chamber on a two stroke engine?

  • @amorencinteroph3428
    @amorencinteroph3428 Рік тому +1

    I say there's no reason for half measures, Uranium Salt Rocket Engines to the future! Because if you're not riding through the heavens at the head of a giant radioactive plume, what's the point? :D

  • @eionjons1991
    @eionjons1991 Рік тому

    Our air and space museum has a NERVA engine on display. It's in the back by the Saturn V engine bell and is beautifully atomic punk.

  • @dannyboyy31
    @dannyboyy31 Рік тому

    2:09 - TitanAir is just a Handley Page Victor!

  • @SilverHalsen
    @SilverHalsen Рік тому

    Loved the Culture shoutout.

  • @jasonw.9136
    @jasonw.9136 Рік тому

    The blazer works!

  • @eljangoolak
    @eljangoolak Рік тому

    Im guessing ut will be a gella of a lot cheaper to put stuff in space as well with those specific impulses. Would be nice to see a video on the economics of such rockets

  • @Fred_Nickles
    @Fred_Nickles 4 місяці тому

    The whole western expansion point is interesting to think about. To go from east to west coast used to take months if not a year. Now you can fly NY to LA and back all between sunrise and sunset. Wild.

  • @nickr7080
    @nickr7080 Рік тому

    Loved the video however . . I think a more accurate parallel would be the invention of the sail or more modern one inventing the steam engine - a Mach effect thruster would be the US transcontinental or a hyperspace jump like the Suez Canal

  • @matthewkeating6970
    @matthewkeating6970 Рік тому

    Great vid