Notes on fabrication of spacecraft, Part VII

Speculation alert NO LONGER applies:   Series continued from last post.

I've dropped the speculation alert because there will no more thought given to making the thing work.  It already works, that's the point.  Nuclear thermal rocketry has been proven in the lab.  No need to speculate about its space worthiness.

No, the problem is risk and how we react to it.  The risk of an accident that will spread radiation hither and yon is the stumbling block to using nuclear thermal rockets.  This attitude is unreasonable and counter productive.  How long will we be subject to this unreasoned fear?  Perhaps forever.

Anyway, I spent a good deal of time contemplating upon how it might be done and finally I'm giving up on it.  Because I suddenly realized that it is all completely NUTS.  You cannot make a completely safe world.  In the real world, where people have to do real things, the adult thing to do is to simply resign yourself to the reality that risks are unavoidable and then go out there and do what needs to be done.  It can be done now, all that is necessary is the will--- and yes, the maturity-- to do it.  It is simply not feasible nor mature to go into a fetal position and suck your thumb.  It's time to grow up and do what it is needed.

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