Why can’t we build nuclear powered rockets in order to reach the moon or mars and the beyond?
We have nuclear powered subs, aircraft carriers etc.
I read the US tried in the early years of the Cold War but cancelled the program.
What gives?
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Nuclear powered means steam powered, generally speaking and water is tremendously dense. Think of having one piece of coal instead of shoveling it in.
Also since we haven’t bothered investing in it, it’s not really viable from a weight-to-power aspect. The system is too heavy to break atmosphere.
Once we get to spaceships that don’t enter atmosphere, we can handle those with current nuclear power technology.
Edit: Oops I lied and googled it. The primary reason we don’t use it is safety. If a rocket fails, it becomes a nuclear device.
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