NERVA abort system

[rpayne88]

NERVAs (Nuclear Energy for Rocket Vehicle Applications) are something we all use in KSP for interplanetary travel. In real life, they are a proven technology. They work by passing a fuel by a nuclear core and allowing the heat from the core to cause the fuel to expand to produce thrust. Unfortunately, they have never been used. The reason for this is due to the risk involved in launching a NERVA into orbit (they can't power themselves in the atmosphere due to radioactive fallout.) The question becomes: what is the launch vehicle used to launch a NERVA suffered a catastrophic failure? I would like to see what some people have (or will) create to address this problem and recover a NERVA without destroying it.

Rules:

1. The engine and its abort system must be on an LV capable of carrying it to orbit. I'll take your word that the rocket carrying it can place it in orbit, so you don't need prove it.

2. You must have a NERVA a minimum of 100m away from the LV with in 3 seconds after hitting to abort button.

3. If any supporting parts (parachutes, probe cores, ect.) are broken off (i.e. not jettisoned with decouplers) your design will be disqualified.

4. All non-magic mods are allowed (i.e. It has to use "believable" technology)

5. Your choice of the NERVA to be aborted

6. You don't need to worry about your LV falling back. Cudos if you use an RSD such as TAC self destruct

7. Screen shots of your rocket on the pad, immediately after aborting the launch, and on touchdown. You are free to add more screenshots if you would like.

8. Your system must be versatile. It must be able to abort the launch on the pad, at 10km ASL, and above 10km ASL while pitched 45 degrees.

There is no scoring as of yet. I just want to see some designs. My mom just told me to wash the dishes and I have stuff to do latter tonight. As a result, I plan to have my proof of concept posted by 11:00PM EST.

[PrathamK]

????

What's the topic, abort system or engine.

 

 

Is it related to Game or not.

[Stoney3K]

3 hours ago, PrathamK said:

????

What's the topic, abort system or engine.

Is it related to Game or not.

The challenge is to build an abort system that can ditch a NERVA (or LV-N, Nerv) without destroying it in case the launch vehicle underneath it decides to disassemble itself upon launch.

The LV-N engine is just dead-weight payload in this case, so the challenge is pretty much to build something that can safely separate the LV-N (and maybe the fuel tank that goes with it?) from the launch stack and get it to the ground safely.

[PrathamK]

We need a rocket to place a LV-N or nerv in orbit and we should abort the rocket and bring the lone nerv back 

Confusing.

[Stoney3K]

2 hours ago, PrathamK said:

We need a rocket to place a LV-N or nerv in orbit and we should abort the rocket and bring the lone nerv back 

Confusing.

Not if you read the background of it. Of course in KSP it doesn't matter, but in real life, a Nerv that comes crashing down or explodes in mid-air will cause a serious radiation hazard. You're basically lobbing a nuclear power plant skyward, and you want that power plant to return safely to Earth (or in this case, Kerbin), under any circumstance. Self-destructing the Nerv is not an option if it was a real scenario.

The rocket is pretty harmless if you blow it up, because it's nothing more than pieces of titanium, hydrogen and oxygen which may cause a big bang, but won't spread any radioactive gunk over populated areas. A Nerv is crammed full of radioactive nuclear fuel (enriched uranium) and you don't want to be within miles of it when THAT goes.

Yes, it means there is some role-playing and imagination involved here, just think of the Nerv as very precious and fragile cargo that can never be destroyed.

[Human Person]

Wait! The topic was posted back in 2013, why are you guys commenting here?

[Soda Popinski]

6 hours ago, Physics Student said:

Wait! The topic was posted back in 2013, why are you guys commenting here?

Tell me about it.  I've been waiting for this proof of concept for years.  How long does it take to wash the dishes?

That said, it's an interesting challenge.  I foresee a launch abort system where the NERVA ditches in the ocean.

[Stoney3K]

31 minutes ago, Soda Popinski said:

Tell me about it.  I've been waiting for this proof of concept for years.  How long does it take to wash the dishes?

That said, it's an interesting challenge.  I foresee a launch abort system where the NERVA ditches in the ocean.

Is it really so much more challenging than an abort system that can ditch a crew pod? In terms of mass and size, it's not that different.

[Soda Popinski]

39 minutes ago, Stoney3K said:

Is it really so much more challenging than an abort system that can ditch a crew pod? In terms of mass and size, it's not that different.

Depends on your rocket design.  If you're bringing it purely as payload to be docked in space, sure.  If it's on the upper stage with a fuel tank along with a capsule, those would all need to be separated and soft landed.  I suppose with cross-feeding* through decouplers being a thing now, it's less hard.

 

Mostly interesting from an RP standpoint if you want to engineer this into every NERV carrying ship.

 

*Autocorrect initially made this crossdressing.

[Tidus Klein]

I always radially attach my nukes anyway, would not be a huge deal to add a decoupler and a set up an abort group to stage the fairing then the nervas....I would install the airbags mod slap a parachute and airbags on the engine nacelles and call it a day

[Speeding Mullet]

OP hasn't been around since April 2016 so this thread should find a nice crackling log fire to sleep by in my opinion.  I'm sure there's an interesting challenge in it for someone to refresh!

SM

[Red Iron Crown]

Really unlikely that this challenge will be administered, the OP has been gone for some time. Perhaps someone might like to continue it in a new thread, but this one must be closed.