A brief tour of propulsion systems utilising nuclear reactions. What could possibly go wrong?
Nuclear reactions offer big advantages for propulsion systems and rockets in particular. Able to run at high temperatures, they are efficient. In rockets, transporting as much energy in as little mass as possible is key to successful rocketry. Nuclear fuels offer great potential, as they have a much higher energy per mass ratio than chemical fuels. I'll walk you through some of the great ideas humanity had to access this potential.