# Discovery One in 2001: A Space Odyssey **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 18, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467 "2019-09-18T23:24:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cjackson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@cjackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjackson)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/1 "2019-09-18T23:24:53Z")
What kind of propulsion system did that ship use? Could it exist in real life? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/2 "2019-09-18T23:33:57Z")
> **[Discovery One](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_One)** > > The United States Spacecraft Discovery One is a fictional spaceship featured in the first two novels of the Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke and in the films 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick and 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) directed by Peter Hyams. The ship is a nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship, crewed by two men and controlled by the AI on-board computer HAL 9000. The ship is destroyed in the second novel and makes no further appearances. > Clarke... > [@](#): > > This spaceship is founded on solidly conceived, yet unrealized science. Its novelized and filmed appearances differ. One major concession in its filmed appearance, for the purpose of reducing confusion, was to eliminate the huge cooling “wings” which would be needed to radiate the heat produced by its hypothetical thermonuclear propulsion system. The movie’s producer/director Stanley Kubrick thought that the audience might interpret the wings as meaning that the spacecraft was intended to fly through an atmosphere. > > Early in the development of the movie, Clarke and Kubrick considered having the Discovery be powered by an Orion type nuclear pulse propulsion system, but Kubrick quickly decided against it, both because showing the ship accelerate by a ‘putt-putt’ method might be “too comic” for film, and because it might be seen as him having embraced nuclear weapons after his prior film, Dr. Strangelove.[1] > **[Nuclear thermal rocket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket)** > > A nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) is a type of thermal rocket where the heat from a nuclear reaction replaces the chemical energy of the propellants in a chemical rocket. In an NTR, a working fluid, usually liquid hydrogen, is heated to a high temperature in a nuclear reactor and then expands through a rocket nozzle to create thrust. The external nuclear heat source theoretically allows a higher effective exhaust velocity and is expected to double or triple payload capacity compared to chemical p... > [@](#): > > **Could it exist in real life?** In theory, yes. They have tested a few prototypes on the ground. They have yet to build one that flies. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/3 "2019-09-19T00:08:58Z")
Larry Niven used that type of engine for the rocket the humans used to fight against the alien invaders in Footfall. THe Atomic Energy Commission began testing them in 1955. The Soviets also tested some too, in the late 1950’s. And perhaps after. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/4 "2019-09-19T00:50:14Z")
Why would Clarke/Kubrick be concerned with the propulsion system when they didn’t have to show it in operation–the ship is in “coasting” mode throughout the movie. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/5 "2019-09-19T01:06:03Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Why would Clarke/Kubrick be concerned with the propulsion system when they didn’t have to show it in operation–the ship is in “coasting” mode throughout the movie. Because they are perfectionists that think out every detail to an insane level. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/6 "2019-09-19T01:17:48Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Because they are perfectionists that think out every detail to an insane level. I was hoping there was a less obvious answer. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/7 "2019-09-19T13:20:21Z")
A previous thread that may be of interest: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857325](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857325) There are quite a few differences as to the _Discovery_ and its mission between the _2001: A Space Odyssey_ script, Clarke’s concurrently-written book, and his later sequel _2010: Odyssey Two_ (adapted for the screen as _2010: The Year We Make Contact_). Perhaps most importantly, the book has the _Discovery_ taking up orbit around Japetus with no fuel left; the sequel (both book and movie) says there’s enough fuel left for _Discovery_ to leave Io orbit to avoid “something wonderful.” ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/8 "2019-09-19T13:35:03Z")
I always figured, as the _Leonov_ dipped into Jupiter’s atmosphere for the aero-braking maneuver, it could fill up it’s fuel tanks with hydrogen with a “ram scoop”. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/9 "2019-09-19T21:35:09Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Larry Niven used that type of engine for the rocket the humans used to fight against the alien invaders in Footfall. THe Atomic Energy Commission began testing them in 1955. The Soviets also tested some too, in the late 1950’s. And perhaps after. No “perhaps” about [it](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49339895). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/10 "2021-09-13T18:05:39Z")
Bumped. Some cool T-shirts for any fan of the movie, Kubrick or USS _Discovery_: [https://www.chopshopstore.com/collections/t-shirts/products/escape-velocity-official-2017-and-2018-tees?variant=31119931736167](https://www.chopshopstore.com/collections/t-shirts/products/escape-velocity-official-2017-and-2018-tees?variant=31119931736167) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/11 "2021-09-14T21:30:07Z")
To clarify, the Michael, the warship in Footfall, was an Orion engine, not a nuclear-thermal engine. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/12 "2021-09-16T14:54:19Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > A previous thread that may be of interest: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857325](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857325) > … That link is now dead; try this: [Crew of the Discovery in 2001 a Space Odyssey](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crew-of-the-discovery-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/816598) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/13 "2021-09-16T19:32:13Z")
I have a HAL9000 T-shirt, which I wore when I went to a Terry Pratchett book signing in San Jose. He commented on it. Not mentioned in the original thread is that the long stem of the ship is to keep the crew as far away from the nuclear engine as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-one-in-2001-a-space-odyssey/840467/14 "2021-09-18T21:01:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To clarify, the Michael, the warship in Footfall, was an Orion engine, not a nuclear-thermal engine. And Discovery was fission-electric, a low-thrust high ISP arc plasma design.