Steam powered rocket

[Curious layman]

If we replaced the engine with a thermo-nuclear engine, and used water as the fuel, could you produce enough thrust from the steam to get into orbit? 

And considering the amount of water on earth, would it make a good engine for space exploration?

 

 

[Janus]

The NERVA program was more or less based on this idea, though it used hydrogen rather than water.  One of the advantages of hydrogen is the fact that efficiency of a rocket increases with exhaust velocity, and hydrogen molecules, with a lower mass than water molecules could be accelerated up to higher exhaust velocities for the same energy.

The NERVA program can date it origins all the way back to the 1950's.  NERVA rockets were tested throughout the '60s,  And it was projected that if development had been continued, we could have had a system capable of getting astronauts to the Mars by 1981.  However, do to political reasons funds for the NERVA program were cut in 1973.

In 1983, new interest in thermonuclear rockets arose since if was felt that they would be need for the Space Defense Initiative ("Star Wars") program. Development for a new system was started in 1987, but funding was cut in 1994.

2013 brought new interest in NTRs( Nuclear thermo rockets). Again as a possible means to get astronauts to Mars. In 2019, funding was approved for development.

So, basically, the reason we don't already have such rocket systems in place isn't due to any problems with the idea itself, but that the development of the systems take time and money, and the money part is subject to shifting political priorities.

 

[Curious layman]

Thanks so much for for replying. 🖖🏻

[StringJunky]

The first stage of a submarine-launched Trident missile is done by high pressure steam generated by the sub's nuclear core. I think it lifts the missile about 30ft above sea level before the rocket engine  kicks in.

[zapatos]

"Mad" Mike Hughes created a steam powered rocket so that he could get enough altitude to prove the earth was flat.

Didn't turn out too well for him.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51602655