| No atomic bomb has ever accidentally detonated. This is a fact. Chemical rockets are nothing but big fireworks and routinely blow up. So much so that people assume this to be normal. I would feel a lot safer on an Orion than a Shuttle. The fear you expressed is the reason why Orion was cancelled. The administration assumed the same danger existed but were totally wrong. Even if an atomic device blew up for no reason (impossible) the others would remain intact. Thats how difficult it is to set one off. Unlike chemical fuel which only requires setting a match to it. Catastrophic rocket failure is not a serious concern with Orions. There would be no strict weightsaving measures aboard an Orion either. Every conceivable safety measure could be taken. Back up systems for the back up systems back up systems and then some. It could be built rugged and tough like spacecraft were meant to be. The concept is revolutionary yet surprisingly simple. This is a good thing. Conventional rocket boosters are way too complex. Far too many things can go wrong and the flimsy structure can't deal with such problems. Pulse units aboard an Orion are perfectly safe. They can't go off until armed and given detonation codes. Once outside the ship the pusher plate which masses a thousand tons or more shields the ship and collects the plasma energy. This is directed through a long shock absorber system which spreads out the force over a second or more. Nuclear detonations only last a microsecond. Not long enough for heat to melt the pusher and the heat dissipates so quickly we don't even need cooling systems. Simple and extremely robust. Both high exhaust velocity and thrust. Something unheard of with other rocket technologies. It is the only available solution to serious manned spaceflight. Safe, cheap and fantastic but true. |