Hi All

Moon... the Liberty Ship has a few problems yet to be solved before it can lift 1000 ton payloads. And if it can be made to work what will we lift in the 1000 ton range??

Steve Howe has made a more carefully argued case for solid-core nuclear boosters which are much less likely to spray radioactive debris over the country-side...

http://internet.cybermesa.com/~mrpbar/rocket.html

...a solid oxide NTR can be made that ejects no fission debris when in flight, something that is currently beyond Gas Core technology. The "Liberty Ship" needs a yet-to-be-demonstrated UV transparent light-bulb and it also needs to handle ~ 3 GW of heat somehow.

Don't get me wrong. I like the idea, but it seems extreme, a bit like using an "Orion" to get into orbit. A much friendlier system with more potential would be a Space Elevator...

http://www.highliftsystems.com/

...which could potentially reduce the cost-to-GEO to ~ $500/kg, making Solar Power Satellites affordable. And they promise a brighter future than nukes alone.

Adam