To the End of the Solar System: The Story of the Nuclear Rocket

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Summary: historical aspect in rocketry
Review: Excellent book... a must read for anyone interested in space propulsion technology which needs a 'second look' to enable humans to bridge our Solar System in the future.

Rating:
Summary: History in Limbo
Review: To The End of the Solar System is an excellent primer on the nuclear rocket -- the history that might have been, and still waiting to be. It is a story even avid spaceflight fans may not have heard. Dewar presents a very readable account of the visionary engineers, project managers, and politicians who developed the first nuclear thermal rockets. The narrative covers the politics and engineering (with supplementary appendices) without being overwhelming. It explains why the nuclear rocket is superior to chemical engines, yet why the world failed to embrace it. The technology has lain dormant for decades, but is quietly making a revival in NASA's project Prometheus and elsewhere. Learn where it all started and where it's going; read To The End of the Solar System. It is well worth the price of admission.