New nuclear engine concept could help realize 3-month trips to Mars
Check my thinking here, from a lay perspective:<p>So the fastest way to point B in space (Mars, Europa, whatever) would be to accelerate constantly until you're halfway there, and then flip around and start slowing down, right?<p>OTOH, a more efficient approach is to achieve some velocity V via an initial burn and/or gravity assist, and cruise along via Newton with no additional burn until time to slow down and drop into orbit at your destination.<p>I further assume that, if you live passengers you'd prefer not to render into soup, you must labor under an acceleration limit.<p>Realistically, what IS that limit? And would would the acceleration plan look like for a long flight like Mars with people aboard?<p>Lots of hard-ish SF (notably the Expanse) handwaves this away with drugs or whatever, which is fine for storytelling, but I'm sort of curious what we could actually tolerate.