Nuclear Saltwater Rocket

[Moontanman]

Here is an interesting idea around nuclear propulsion, simple but powerful! 

 

[Vmedvil]

9 hours ago, Moontanman said:

Here is an interesting idea around nuclear propulsion, simple but powerful! 

 

I like it Moontanman, continue.

[Moontanman]

9 hours ago, Vmedvil said:

I like it Moontanman, continue.

This idea has been around for quite some time, it's so simple and at the same time outrageous! The video says it can be used with uranium and plutonium salts but I have it on good authority it can work with Americurium salts as well as other isotopes that are fissionable. If it could be launched from the surface of the Earth the need for a powerful one stage to orbit rocket would be solved and as suggested in the video such a rocket could make for 10% light speed and allow interstellar voyages to be possible. 

Of course the elephant in the room is the highly radioactive exhaust products, in space this not a big problem. Riding around on a continuous nuclear explosion would be a wild way to get around the solar system at least. 

I wonder if the fuel could be stored as thorium and the fissionable isotopes be produced on board as needed with a reaction similar to the reaction used by thorium reactors to produce fissionable fuel.