https://projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/index.php
ATOMIC ROCKETSHIPS OF THE SPACE PATROL
or "So You Wanna Build A Rocket?"
* [atomicRocketLogo]
This website is dedicated to Robert A. Heinlein and Sir Arthur C.
Clarke.
And for planting the seed, Jerry Pournelle and his "A Step Farther
Out: Those Pesky Belters and Their Torchships"
EST^D 1994
A Rocket is Just The Thing!
* [AtomicRocketLogo256]
* [AtomicRocketSeal256]
Click the bar labeled SITE MENU at the top of the screen to navigate
the website
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Your imagination has been captured by the roaring rockets from
Heinlein's SPACE CADET or the Polaris from TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET.
But are such rockets possible? How does one go about defining the
performance of these atomic-powered cruisers?
This document gives some hints and equations that will allow
back-of-the-envelope calculations on such matters. Though horribly
simplistic, they are far better than just making up your figures.
This site was mainly intended for science fiction authors who wanted
a little scientific accuracy so they can write SF "the way God and
Heinlein intended" (Arlan Andrews's Law). The technical term is Hard
Science Fiction.
But anybody who is interested can play with the toys contained
within, designing their own Planet Rangers Rocketships. It is assumed
that the reader has enough knowledge to know the difference between a
star and a planet, high school mathematics, and enough skill to use a
pocket calculator. Computer spreadsheet and computer programming
skills are a plus, spreadsheets in particular will make your life
much easier.
The engine and the torchship pages explain how easily do some of the
calculations using Nomograms. The nomograms can be downloaded from
those pages, or printed versions can be purchased from the Project
Rho Store. There is also a poster of the Atomic Rocket Cruiser
Polaris. Not to mention official Atomic Rockets coffee mugs and blank
journals.
While this site originally focused on rocketry equations, as you can
see it has grown to encompass other topics of interest to science
fiction authors and game designers. Things like galactic empires and
interstellar trade.
This site started out as a small sheet of equations I wrote in 1997.
You may find it amusing, abet very dated.
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Start here
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Patreon
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Alas, updates to this website are very sporadic and far in between.
I've got about a five year backlog of data that is yet to be
incorporated. You can help by becoming my patron on Patreon. For just
a few dollars a month you can help break the log jam and allow me to
get this website polished and tuned. Patreon is sort of like a cross
between Kickstarter and medieval artist's patrons. Click on the link
and I'll explain in detail.
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Title Image
The image was created by the author, using the astonishingly powerful
open-source program Blender 3D. The author crafted the mesh using
blueprints of the Polaris from the Spaceship Handbook. The NERVA
solid-core nuclear thermal rocket was created using reference images
of NASA mock-ups. The green equations are from other pages in this
website. The background image of Earth is courtesy of NASA. There is
a larger version of the image here.
For dramatic effect I made the exhaust a blaze of blue. In reality, a
hot hydrogen blast is invisible.
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Start: Preliminary Notes>
Start: Preliminary Notes>
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o TransHab Calc
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Atomic Rockets notices
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Atomic Rockets site navigation
* Atomic Rockets
* Getting Started
+ Preliminary Notes
+ Misconceptions
+ For SF Authors
* Operations
+ Mission
+ Orbits
+ Embarking
+ Blast-off
+ Landing
* Engines
+ Rocket Theory
+ Multi-stage
+ Engine List
o Engine List 1
o Engine List 2
o Engine List 3
+ Atomic Fuel
+ Fusion Fuel
+ Antimatter Fuel
* Spaceship Design
+ Basic Design
+ Advanced Design
+ Sizing
+ Atomic Radiation
+ Power Plant
+ Heat Radiators
+ Life Support
o CELSS
o Human Factors
o Artificial Gravity
o Habitat Module
+ Worked Example
* Spaceship Decks
+ Sample Deck Plans
+ Control Deck
+ Engineering Deck
+ Astrogation Deck
+ Sensor Deck
+ Communication Deck
+ Sickbay Deck
+ Emergency Deck
+ Other Decks
* Ship Types
+ General Ship Types
+ Torchships
+ Starships
o Sublight Starships
o Nearlight Starships
o FTL Starships 1
o FTL Starships 2
* Spaceships
+ Realistic Designs A-G
+ Realistic Designs H-M
+ Realistic Designs N-Q
+ Realistic Designs R-Z
+ Realistic Fusion
+ Landers
+ Space Tugs
+ Terra Return
* Crew and Gear
+ Crew
+ Sidearms
o Slugthrower
o Energy Weapons
o Exotic
o Body Armor
+ Gear
+ Space Suits
+ Man Amplifiers & Robots
+ Non-Space Vehicles
* Infrastructure
+ Surface to Orbit
+ Space Stations
+ Spaceports
+ Planetary Base
+ Infrastructure
+ Mining
* Deep Space
+ Maps of Space
+ Weird Astronomy
+ Worldbuilding
+ SciFi Universes
o Ring Raiders
o Cape Dread
o RocketCat's World
* Space War
+ Introduction
+ War
+ Military
o Astromilitary
o Quasi-Military
o Colony Service
o Space Rescue
+ Detection
+ Weapons Intro
o Projectile
o Beam
o Exotic
+ Defenses
+ Warship Design
+ Warship Gallery
+ Space Fighters
+ Tactics
+ Planetary Attack
o Orbital Attack
o Orbital Defense
o Ground Attack
* History and Tech
+ Future History
o Modeling History
o Calculating History
o Alternate History
+ Tech Level
o Tech & Society 1
o Tech & Society 2
o Tech & Society 3
o Technological Ideology
* Space Nations
+ Galactic Survey
o Settlement
o Planet Colony
o Space Colony
o Planet Roles
o Real Colony Sites
+ Future Money
o Starship Ownership
o Trade
o Pirates
o Macro economics
+ Empire
o Empire Dynamics
o Telecom
o Space Law
o Empire Maps
* Keeping It Real
+ Respecting Science
+ Thermo dynamics
* Spicing It Up
+ MacGuffinite
+ Unobtainium
+ Handwavium
o Reactionless Drives
o Antigravity
o Time Travel
o Matter Transmitter
o Psionics
o Nuke Damper
+ Aliens
o Alien Bodies
o Alien Lebensraum
o Alien Contact
o High-Tech Aliens
+ Fabulous Locations
+ Apocalypse
* Future Culture
+ Measurement
+ Language
+ Symbols & Insignia
+ Games
+ Mythology
+ Art
+ Music
* Atomic Creations
+ Poster: Space Age
+ Art Gallery
+ Atomic Novels
+ Seal of Approval
* Appendices
+ Glossary
+ Equations
+ Useful Tables
+ Mission Table
+ Online Calcs
o TransHab Calc
* Suggested Read
* Footnotes
Atomic Rockets information
[WinchChop]
(c)1995-2023 Winchell Chung (Zheng ) (nyraeth) r=S+Ps
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