The Nuclear Salt Water Rocket

[Webster]

The Nuclear Salt Water Rocket is a rocket engine concept that uses a rapid nuclear reaction in a Uranium salt dissolved in water to create a high thrust, high efficiency engine which eclipses the performance of any rocket engine ever designed. It's a concept originally presented by Robert Zubrin, which is appealing because it looks more scientifically plausable than many other futuristic propulsion concepts.

It's also scary on so many levels, using a propellent that has to be stabilized by specially designed tanks, and relies on managing a small nuclear explosion with power outputs of hundreds of gigawatts.

 

[MrDawn]

Obviously no one has learned anything from Chernobyl. The world needs to quit using dirty bombs. Earth is like a fish bowl for us. When we light up nukes, it dirties up our home for us and in turn this badly affects everyone because the nuclear fallout has no where to go.

 

[DrLeftover]

The problem with this engine, and with the theorized fusion engines, is that the operating temperature would melt most conventional substances, and things like cast ceramic components that could withstand it would add too much mass to the vehicle to make it practical.