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From: dhp@ihnp3.UUCP (Douglas H. Price)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Re: Illegality of NERVA's??!!
Message-ID: <115@ihnp3.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Aug-84 19:08:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnp3.115
Posted: Thu Aug 30 19:08:40 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Sep-84 07:46:49 EDT
References: <12848@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 17

My understanding was that the NERVA program was cancelled for political
rather than technical reasons.  Even though it was primarily intended 
for use outside of the atmosphere, the idea of having to blow up a rocket
on a launch abort with a BIG nuclear reactor aboard was just a little
too much for average, faint-hearted politician to take.  This is also the
reason you don't see much serious discussion about disposing of nuclear
wastes in space (aside from cost considerations).

NERVA is probably the most cost-effective/time-effective kind of space
propulsion within the technical means today, but I bet you won't see
it fly in our lifetime; politics, anti-nuke reactionaries, and crippling
international treaties will see to that.  
-- 
						Douglas H. Price
						Analysts International Corp.
						@ AT&T Bell Laboratories
						..!ihnp4!ihnp3!dhp