To the End of the Solar System: The Story of the Nuclear Rocket

Apogee Books Space Series #68

by James A. Dewar

Chemically propelled rockets can lift less than 5 percent of their take-off weight into orbit, a fact that could forever limit the space program. Nuclear-powered rockets, however, with their superior thrusting power and speed, are radically different. So argues James A. Dewar in the only comprehensive history ever written of the nuclear rocket project. It is a story of political battles over the space program's future, involving Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, and a readable account of its technical successes, a story perhaps more interesting and certainly more important, Dewar believes, than the history of atomic and H-bomb development. Dewar maintains that only by reestablishing a nuclear rocket project can the nation have a space program worthy of the 21st century, one that makes reality of the hopes and dreams of science fiction.

Genres: History, Space, Nonfiction, Science

438 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jeff Greason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably essential reading for anyone interested in advanced propulsion, though as someone more interested in the engineering of the program, the authors decision to frame the narrative primarily in terms of the politics and the budget battles is slightly disappointing. However, since, 50 years later, we still are barely funding any advanced propulsion work, that narrative is full of important lessons, and the appendices do an excellent job of filling in some of the technical details.

To this day, it surprises me how few people realize how far NERVA got, how ready it was to fly, and how tremendous a lost opportunity it represents.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did you know that the US had a successful nuclear rocket program in the 1950's and 1960's? I didn't. A friend of mine at work gave this to me, and I read through it relatively quickly.

The narrative was much more a political history of the battle over killing or keeping the program alive. I learn much more about how difficult it is maintain funding year after year for a program such as this than I did about the actual technical development of the rocket.

The appendices are definitely where the action is. I highly recommend reading them first.

The concept of a nuclear rocket is awesome because it actually works, and it literally enables manned missions throughout our solar system. In one part of the book the author comments about a previous mars rover. He says that if the nuclear rocket had been used for this mission, the mars rover would have been a HUMVEE and it would have had an additional 10,000 lbs of instruments!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story about the nuclear rocket program that many hoped would be our key to deep space exploration. The story of the nuclear rocket is long and wandering. The book is comprehensive and very interesting. This book details key people, hardware and events that are critical to understanding the story as a whole. The only fault I could find is that I wished that more of the facilities associated with the program were explored, like the Plum Brook reactor, and others. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the space program, nuclear history, or so-out-there-it-can't-be-true non-fiction.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rocket technology reached it's pinnacle in the late 60's and early 70's. It progressed much farther than most people know. This book tells the sad story of how interplanetary travel fell by the wayside.