Orion Drive CGI Matte Work

[willussgfeind]

yup it was offically scraped as the americans though that the russians chasing the same concept would fit it to an icbm its also for similar reasons why were starting to see the light of ram jets now when the tech has exsisted since the 50's the orion drive is the reason the americans built a air bound laser system within a boeing 747 in case it was fitted to a icbm all fun and games kids.

[glitterboy2098]

@granddad2002: parts of it are classified because the drive needs nuclear shaped charges for best results. and the air force determained that with a little modification, that same technology could be employed to create a devestating directed plasma weapon. so they classified the most vital bit, the charge design and the design and spacing of the pusher plate. the first because of weaponization issues, and the latter because the russian were looking into the same concept.

[granddad2002]

This project should have never been classified. Orion should have been 'legally' pursued by any interested group... especially in computer simulations. Nuclear energy is a reality we need to deal with... I don't agree that this would have murkied the proliferation problem or have caused a catastrophic depletion to our environment. Putting millions of people into space would have had a positive effect on Earth.

[kerminator29]

Hey! These are flyby animations in Google SketchUp aren't they? Well, I can't blame you.  I do the same thing.

[TheMysteriousAtheist]

where are the atom bombs?

[SaintofKillers66]

needs more splosions

[th0rzhammer]

Na, the sheer mass of an Orion spacecraft negates the extremely high thrust, making the g forces reasonably gentle.

[privateworldofwarft]

Why don't we restart this project? The advances in technology alone should be enough.

[bobafetthotmail]

@privateworldofwarft atomic detonations in space and atomic tests in open air are banned by a treaty. And people are massively scared by nuclear technology in general.

[jamie15531]

Yeah, this drive would get us to Alpa Centuri in ten years instead to one hundred. Kenndy cenceled the program out of fear of Russian confusion of nuclear attack.

[theogore]

Beautiful minimalist work.

[roidroid]

wouldn't those things hanging out the side tear off when you thrust?

i guess you retract them when you thrust yeah?

[Wilnan1]

No they wouldn't. Remember that there is very little resistance in space.

[roidroid]

It's not wind resistance i'm worried about.

They seem to jut out very far with very little support.

They might tear off from the high G forces when the Orion engines engage.

[mrbiehl]

Pretty nice animation. I'm impressed at the work you can do with sketch up. Pretty cool.