Would a nuclear fission thruster with continuous fuel injection be possible?

Assume that Uranium is vastly available, as are the building materials. Can you build this device?

The fuel tank stores uranium at a high temperature so that it remains liquid. The fuel injector/s spray a continuous stream of molten uranium into the nuclear fission chamber. The fission chamber sustains a continuous fission reaction. The pressure is vented out of a thruster like a regular rocket engine.

This could be used to propel rockets or spaceships or whatever.

Some problems I'm thinking of already:

1. Either the fuel injectors fail to inject fuel fast enough so that the reaction fizzles out, or the reaction travels up the stream of uranium and detonates the fuel tank like a regular a-bomb.
2. The combustion chamber would be blown apart, or it would be built to withstand the reaction, and would therefore be too heavy.
3. The shielding to protect the fuel supply from sub-atomic-bricker-bracker would be too heavy.

I was also thinking that instead of sustaining a continuous reaction, you could just continuously provide the conditions to begin a new reaction. (a nuclear fission pilot flame if you will.)

Could a nuclear fission rocket engine ever work?

Do you think it could work better than rocket fuel?

posted over 8 years ago

Lorry Laurence mcLarry‭

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