Questions about Project Orion and nuclear propulsion

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I still think overall that NTP (Nuclear Thermal Propulsion) makes more sense than Orion platforms. For more see this related thread, and especially @Stranger_On_A_Train’s informed follow up on my comment:

Alternate applications of nuclear energy?

Since Orion has already been mentioned, I’ll toss out the NERVA style rockets, for a less-crazy option for nuclear assisted heavy lift capacity. Which isn’t a completely dead technology (well, more modern derivatives of nuclear thrust rockets are still being researched at least) - from the link above. An engine for interplanetary travel from Earth orbit to Mars orbit, and back, was studied in 2013 at the MSFC with a focus on nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) engines.[116] Since NTRs are at least…