TyMoore - 14/2/2007 9:02 PMNuclear Salt Water Rocket is going to be a very finicky animal to control: if you use a thick reaction chamber lined with a suitable neutron reflector to create the critical mass when you squirt the fissile salt solution into the chamber--this is entirely analogous to a continuous nuclear explosion.
TyMoore - 15/2/2007 5:06 AMIt could even be possible to create a 'fission fragment sail' by coating a thin sheet of material with thin layer of fissile isotopes. Bombarding this layer with neutrons will cause fissions near the surface of the layer. Fission fragments will be stopped by the layer--which transfer momentum to the sail. Fission fragments that are ejected will also transfer momentum to the sail. Ejected fission fragments ought to provide high Isp but low thrust...
TyMoore - 16/2/2007 5:06 AMIt could even be possible to create a 'fission fragment sail' by coating a thin sheet of material with thin layer of fissile isotopes. Bombarding this layer with neutrons will cause fissions near the surface of the layer. Fission fragments will be stopped by the layer--which transfer momentum to the sail. Fission fragments that are ejected will also transfer momentum to the sail. Ejected fission fragments ought to provide high Isp but low thrust...