bombardmentforce wrote:

Myth:
The ship's structure itself ... has to be able to take the stress of
sitting next to a bunch of exploding nuclear bombs. Even with shock
absorbers, it would be under repeated stress of a type not experienced
by any vehicle we have ever built. The ability of a battleship to
survive the strain of firing its own guns was the subject of a
considerable amount of development efforts in the early 20th century,
and that strain would be dramatically less than the strain experienced
by an Orion. -POS

----
Fact:

"Both the pulse frequency and the acceleration profile are reasonably
well simulated by a child's backyard swing operating through an arc
65deg each way from vertical". GA-5009 Volume 1 page 14
Quoted in Project Orion Page 179

http://spacebombardment.blogspot.com...-orion_21.html

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/ca...1965058729.pdf

Fact: Based on my recall of Footfall and my knowledge of thermonuclear tests
in the Pacific and elsewhe Taking off in Orion would be one hell of an
experience. Quite literally.

It would start out as a pseudo-underground explosion, with the bomb being
only metres away from the spacecraft's "bumper". Think vitrification.
Think sublimation of metal. Think superhot gaseous vitrified rock and
metal gases spewing out all sides.

And you need to fire another within the next few seconds to maintain your
momentum so you won't fall back down to the ground again.

Designing a hatchway that can be blocked against subliming metal and yet
pass a functioning thermonuclear device through, is beyond _my_
capabilities. I presume the Cavalry in those circumstances get Superman -
Jor-El - to throw them in, albeit from a safe distance? I missed seeing
Jor-El in Footfall - perhaps Niven and Pournelle couldn't pay him enough
for a cameo deus ex machina appearance?

Wesley Parish

(And note: that factoid about the child's swing, fails to make the link
between the child's swing and the thermonuclear explosion. The energy
released in a thermonuclear explosion is orders of magnitude vaster than
that expended in a child's swing.

And that's the crux of the matter. If that vast instantaneous pulse of
energy is to be absorbed to pass it on to the spacecraft, then it will be
like being inside a battleship while firing a broadside. Except that
battleship will have it helluva lot easier. And if it isn't passed on to
the spacecraft, then it has been wasted. No ifs, no buts.)
--
"Good, late in to more rewarding well."Â*Â*"Well,Â*youÂ*tonight.Â*Â*AndÂ*IÂ*was
lookintelligent woman of Ming home.Â*Â*IÂ*trustÂ*youÂ*withÂ*aÂ*tenderÂ*silence." Â*Â*I
get a word into my hands, a different and unbelike, probably - 'she
fortunate fat woman', wrong word.Â*Â*IÂ*thinkÂ*toÂ*me,Â*IÂ*justupid.
Let not emacs meta-X dissociate-press write your romantic dialogs...!!!