Nuclear Propulsion explores fission and fusion drives for deep space travel: nuclear thermal engines, nuclear electric power for plasma thrusters, pulsed fusion, z pinch, aneutronic fuels, shielding, safety, mission studies like Project Daedalus and the nuclear saltwater rocket.
Top 25 Fusion Drives for Space Propulsion
For nearly a century, fusion has been the fire just over the horizon—promising starship-class energy in a package we can actually build. Today, the most compelling space-propulsion ideas don’t just chase a powerplant;…
The Bussard Ramjet and Polywell Fusion Reactor
The Bussard Ramjet sits at the core of Robert W. Bussard’s audacious vision for interstellar propulsion as a starship that “breathes” the thin hydrogen between the stars, and his Polywell Fusion Reactor pursues compact,…
Paul Czysz: From Hypersonic Skunkworks to Fusion Spaceplanes
By any measure, Professor Paul A. Czysz stood at the hinge between two eras: the Cold-War crucible that birthed hypersonic flight, and a next chapter where air-breathers hand off to compact fusion and field physics. His…