On vzryvolёte to Jupiter. Page 1

The limitations of chemical rockets was clear even before the regular space launches. Tsiolkovsky rocket equation just says that we are familiar engines can fly to the moon (starting rocket thousand tons in the three initial mass and returning to the boat several tons), with great difficulty, to Mars (with many times the worst ratio initial / final mass ), but to conquer the solar system on chemical rockets can not. Therefore, in the middle of the twentieth century began to appear alternative projects, the most striking of which was the atomic vzryvolёt (pulse rocket). In this post we will talk about its design, the history of creation, prospects in the 21st century, and still fly on it to Jupiter in Orbiter'e.

Orion h4>

The idea of the project h5> Reactions of atomic fission and nuclear fusion gave humanity a source of great energy. It is therefore logical that the first thought up to use atomic bombs to move in space, developers of nuclear weapons. According to the document the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Stanislaw Ulam , member of the Manhattan Project, co-inventor of the hydrogen bomb scheme Teller-Ulam suggested the idea nuclear rocket engine in 1946. According to the original idea, the ship nuke that undermine and evaporates drive reset after the bomb. In the 50s the idea developed Ted Taylor and Фриман Dyson (Dyson sphere - also his idea). The resulting project was as follows:

Aft stove gets hit plasma from the nuclear charge, and the momentum of the plasma through two levels of shock transmitted to the ship. As of mid-flight charges to use nuclear devices producing directed explosion:

Molded shell of beryllium oxide and uranium nuclear explosion made the charge direction and tungsten turned into a cigar-shaped beam of plasma, which beat the feed pusher plate. Pusher left at the forward position, and then, under the influence of depreciation, return to the starting position. The cycle was repeated.

Project History h5> The "Orion" began in 1958. It was a full-fledged engineering work, although, of course, surprising in its scope - development projects had a weight of 880 tons for near-Earth spacecraft to 8,000,000 tons for the "advanced interplanetary." Were built scale models of ships that use conventional explosives to verify the stability of flight.

Very short video of one test:

Declassified Chronicle 1958 test different layouts:

In the 60 years the project has started to have problems. Firstly, the unit receives a large and very expensive. In search of money turned out that the "Orion" are interested in the military, but it had to do so armed ship. President Kennedy saw the layout of the atomic vzryvolёta atomic cannons, missiles and other weapons, was horrified, and the chances of funding plummeted. Secondly, launches all types of vehicles, except the youngest, had to be made from the Earth to the marching nuclear engines, which meant that hundreds of nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, and no one is inspired on the background of public protests against nuclear testing. Third, test the ship hampered the 1963 Treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space and under water. Nevertheless, the pusher plate had to check on a couple of nuclear tests, and, within a single explosion, calculations confirm. As a result, despite the fact that at some point in the project "Orion" was seen as a real alternative to missiles von Braun and the lunar program, as a result of "Orion" was closed in the area in 1965.

Life after the closing h5> After closing the project moved into the development of a theoretical plane. Atomic-pulse drive promised a unique opportunity, so based on it began to develop interstellar ships. Freeman Dyson has created two projects for the study of Alpha Centauri-flight trajectory with no inhibition, one hundred thousand tons of initial mass (stomost 0, 1 annual US GDP, the flight 133 years), the other ten million tons (1 annual cost of US GDP, while flight 1330 years). Related "Orion" are projects «Daedalus» and « Longshot », although they use more complex and have not yet mastered engines. Also, the project was coined «Medusa» , where instead of the pusher plate using a special sail-parachute. Despite the fact that the implementation of the project to proceed, and no one does not give money, a group of enthusiasts coming up with new projects. For example, in 2007, published an article describing the Mini-Mag Orion - small "Orion", which undermine the atomic charges carried by the magnetic field.

Project Evaluation h5> Advantages:

«Orion" implement at the level of technology of forty years ago. A unique engine combines great traction and high specific impulse. In chemical rockets great traction, but a small boost in electric propulsion - a big boost, but little traction. Ability to interstellar travel. Nuclear "Orion" can theoretically accelerate to 3% -5% of the speed of light, fusion - 8% -10% on thermonuclear annihilation to drive catalysis - 10% and annihilation "matter-antimatter" - 50% -80%. Flight to Alpha Centauri at 0, 1 Takes '44 and 36 days on the acceleration / deceleration to acceleration of 1 g.
Weaknesses:
Pollution Earth products of nuclear explosions at the start of the flight from the ground and in the atmosphere. The presence of moving parts, it requires the absolute reliability of the second shock absorber under conditions of thousands of explosions. Use atomic charges - the problem of control and security. Large and expensive. Vicious circle - is no pressing need to withdraw thousands of tons into orbit, nobody will give money for the development of the unit, which is capable of these thousands of tons of lead, and the need and will not appear.

A little reflection h5> In the coming decades, humanity is unlikely to start construction of the starship, unless, of course, will not happen any day happy inventions. Therefore, to talk about the most applicable technology for interstellar flight difficult. Nevertheless, the current level of technology "Orion" looks pretty good compared to other methods of movement. Project specific impulse vzryvolёta, according to документу NASA , was in the range of 1800-6000 seconds, and the 1980s with the development of technology promised MI 10 -20 000 seconds. What is very interesting, similar indicators have reached the electric propulsion (ERE already flying with MI 1600, promising ERE promise to 20000 s). Maybe conquer the solar system is not brutal atomic vzryvolёt and "cultural" ERE. But without nuclear devices on ships not do - only they can provide the required amount of energy for the development of the solar system.

Flight h4> If you are interested to fly to Jupiter on vzryvolёte, see this video about the flight to Mars, to have an idea about what we plan to do, and can squander the rest of the post.

Preparing to fly h5> In addition to the Orbiter'a we need only one addon - Orion 1.22 . It also assumes that you have at least read my posts by tag Orbiter a > and have an idea about the terminology.

Some theory h5> In the space ballistics is the concept of "Hohmann transfer orbit» (Hohmann transfer orbit). This is the most economical path of movement between the orbits. It consists of two pulses, the first of which is given in pericentre apocentre and lifts to the desired height and the second given in apocenter periapsis and raises to a desired altitude. If we want to go to a lower altitude, the reverse action. The first - lowering pericenter, the second - lowering apocentre. Here's a picture illustrating the idea:

It is obvious that if we fly, such as Jupiter, it is not always in the opposite would be the start point of the orbit at the time of our arrival there. Therefore Hohmann transfer orbit is only possible in a certain time period - starting window. Launch window is flight possible, but it will require more fuel costs and will be more difficult.
Also, planning our flight to Jupiter, we believe that we are flying "by eye", by hand, without serious ballistic calculations or additional MFD. Therefore, our flight would be very inefficient in terms of fuel costs, but interesting, and we would fly with excellent for flight "by eye" accuracy.

flight plan h5> Our flight will consist of the following stages:

Acceleration from Earth's orbit. Correction trajectory after leaving the zone of gravitational influence of the Earth. Path correction - the combination of inclination (the Earth's orbit and the orbit of Jupiter have a slightly different mood ). If necessary - correction of the trajectory when approaching the Jupiter. Go to the orbit of Jupiter.