From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Sun Sep 29 2002 - 15:58:15 MDT
John observed:
<<In the January issue of Nuclear Instruments and Methods Physics Research A
Yigal Ronen and Eugene Shwagerous calculate that a metallic film of
Americium 242 less than a thousandth of a millimeter thick would
undergo fission. This is so thin that rather than heat the bulk material the
energy of the process would go almost entirely into the speed of the primary
fission products, they would go free. They figure a Americium-242 rocket
could get to Mars in two weeks not two years as with a chemical rocket.
There are problems of course, engineering the rocket would be tricky and I'm
not sure I'd want to be on the same continent as a Americium 242 production
facility, but it's an interesting idea.
John K Clark jonkc@att.net >>
More goon babble follows. Set up an automated mining base on the moon to
construct at least some of the structure, and yes, whatever fissile or
fertile element one would designate, for a fission-style rocket (NERVA or
otherwise). Lift the sections of the life support components from the earth
and hang them in earth orbit until assembled. Boost them Apollo 8 style to
lunar orbit. Once the servo-mechs have completed the construction of the
rocket and fission assembly, boost this component to lunar orbit. Put slot-A
into Tab B. If everything has been machined correctly, we have a Mars
mission.
There are other bells and whistles to be considered, like sending an entire
machine/minning shop to the Martian surface 2 years ahead of any mission.
That way if something craps out along the way, or fails after landing, there
is a means to literally build your new spaceship from the Martian resources
(soil, rock, atmosphere, mountains). Also to be included in this pre-planed,
treasure trove is food, water, toilet paper, paperclips, whatever.
Building fission fuel from the lunar surface, would even preclude Dr. Kaku's
fears of nuclear contamination from earth orbit.
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