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!
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...
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!
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?
Had the same blocked sensor port problem occurred with an operational Falcon 9, it would have been outvoted by several other sensors. That voting system was not present on the test vehicle.