Would Orion Work?

[Qeue]

Although no proper tests were ever conducted to show the feasibility of Orion, aside from the chemical Putt-Putt model, is there anything suggesting that Orion could actually work?

What about the nuclear devices – would they eventually destroy the pusher plate assembly and possibly the ship itself? Would the ship and crew be subject to exposure to radiation from the bombs?

http://www.nuclearspace.com/a_orion_and_empire.htm

http://www.astronautix.com/lvfam/orion.htm

http://www.astronautix.com/articles/probirth.htm

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion

http://www.mediamatic.net/cwolk/view/7049

[bonzer]

For a start, I take it you've seen this recent, not unrelated, thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=176287).
Beyond that, it's difficult. I, for one, was rather impressed by the amount of detail George Dyson relates about the relevant bomb physics in his recent Project Orion. But, even then, he deliberately still remains explicitly coy/ignorant about the factors necessary to assess actual feasibility. While being optimistic.