Project Orion was the promise of my youth [70/80s]. It speaks to both the technological courage and the philosophical optimism that once characterized space exp

Project Orion was the promise of my youth [70/80s]. It speaks to both the technological courage and the philosophical optimism that once characterized space exploration — and how that momentum seems to have faded. By all accounts, it was technically feasible. And yet... Of course there was 'the shadow of the Bomb'. From bold, almost reckless experimentation (Mercury, Gemini, early Apollo, things shifted to safety-optimized, cost-constrained engineering. And there was Cost and Politics; the post-Apollo world didn’t want to colonize the solar system. It wanted low Earth orbit, and safe returns. Budgets followed. Kinda sad.