Discussion on space travel.

[Clear Glass]

technically, nuke-based space ships have been plausible since the 60's

Yep, Project Orion. (Just putting that there for anyone interested in reading)

tl;dr It dropped micro nuclear-warheads behind it to propel the ship.

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[Pie Crust]

Wouldn't that cause a new version of Fallout to come out each time it takes off?

[Badger]

no

you'd use boosters to break it out of the atmosphere then they'd de commison and fall back to earth

then you could safely use nuclear explosions to propel yourself

[Pie Crust]

And what would happen to the nuclear radiation?

[XR-7]

I've had interest in astronomy and astrophysics for a while, but space travel is not a big subject for me.

[blueblur121]

no

you'd use boosters to break it out of the atmosphere then they'd de commison and fall back to earth

then you could safely use nuclear explosions to propel yourself

Uh wait though. Don't nukes in space cause loving huge EMPs?

[Katla]

This isn't entirely about space travel, but I am fascinated by the sun. Like, how much energy there is coming from it. Our planet gets enough energy from it to support life, and even enough to generate a substantial amount of electricity, but from the sun's perspective, we're just a tiny little speck. Like, we're nothing. Just a tiny, itty bitty piece of rock that collects a negligible amount of energy from it.

And what would happen to the nuclear radiation?

Uh... It'd go out into space?
Just to be clear on what you know about this stuff, what do you think sunlight comes from?

Uh wait though. Don't nukes in space cause loving huge EMPs?

That's not how the engine would work. It's not going to detonate an actual nuclear bomb. As far as I can tell, it would use tiny nuclear explosions in basically the same way our cars use tiny gas explosions. The biggest difference would be the fact that the explosions just propel the ship itself, rather than pistons in an engine, more like a conventional rocket.

[Pie Crust]

Sunlight comes from a natural fusion reactor. This is artificial fission reactions.

[Badger]

its also emitting copious amounts of radiation

[Katla]

Sunlight comes from a natural fusion reactor. This is artificial fission reactions.

Natural or artificial doesn't make any difference. Both fusion and fission release nuclear fallout. Hydrogen bombs use nuclear fusion, and they're no less dangerous or fallout-y than the sort that uses fission.
Actually, I'm wrong about that, sorry. Fusion is actually pretty safe, apparently. H-bombs still aren't, though, because there is some fission going on and that causes problems.

Still, it's not like they didn't think about that stuff. The explosions are small, not enough for the fallout to be harmful or to cause electrical problems on Earth. I think they happen inside the ship, anyway? Maybe. I can't really tell. But it would definitely be safe.

[Badger]

the way the prototype was built I think was a pulse engine with a large shield behind it to push the ship

[Clear Glass]

Just to be clear on what you know about this stuff, what do you think sunlight comes from?That's not how the engine would work. It's not going to detonate an actual nuclear bomb. As far as I can tell, it would use tiny nuclear explosions in basically the same way our cars use tiny gas explosions. The biggest difference would be the fact that the explosions just propel the ship itself, rather than pistons in an engine, more like a conventional rocket.

Do you not know how a nuclear bomb works? Don't comment on what you don't know because you sound stupid.

the way the prototype was built I think was a pulse engine with a large shield behind it to push the ship

This is correct.

[Pie Crust]

The explosions are small, not enough for the fallout to be harmful or to cause electrical problems on Earth.

Everything sums up. If the radiation doesn't go anywhere, it will slowly build up to lethal levels around Earth's atmosphere if the ship uses nuclear propulsion to orbit the planet.

[Clear Glass]

Everything sums up. If the radiation doesn't go anywhere, it will slowly build up to lethal levels around Earth's atmosphere if the ship uses nuclear propulsion to orbit the planet.

It wouldn't be using the nuclear propulsion until it is far out into deep space.

[Pie Crust]

That would be in theory but we always have that starfish that does whatever they want.