# Project Orion (DD-496)

> Project Orion was a U.S. study from 1958 to 1965, led at General Atomics, of nuclear pulse propulsion: small nuclear explosions behind a spacecraft would strike a large pusher plate whose shock absorbers smoothed the thrust. It promised performance far beyond chemical rockets, with trips to Mars in weeks, but ended after the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty barred nuclear explosions in the atmosphere and space. The footage, credited to spaceman.in, shows an animated Orion craft.

- Department: Space (also History)
- First published: 2025-02-23
- Last updated: 2025-02-23
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/project-orion/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1958**: Project Orion begins
- **1963**: Partial Test Ban Treaty
- **1965**: Project Orion ends

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=project-orion

## Quick facts

- **DD-496-F01**: 1958-1965. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Years))_
- **DD-496-F02**: General Atomics. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Lead))_

## Write-up

Project Orion proposed pushing a spacecraft with a series of nuclear blasts. A pusher plate would absorb each shock.

1. **Years**: 1958-1965.
2. **Lead**: General Atomics.
3. **Method**: Nuclear pulse.
4. **Plate**: Absorbs shocks.
5. **End**: 1963 test ban.

## Related case files

- [It IS Rocket Science (DD-257)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/it-is-rocket-science/): I linked more rockets

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: Project Orion: Project Orion Proposed Pushing a Spacecraft With a Series of Nuclear Blasts

- Duration: 25.1 s · Published: 2025-02-23
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DGb4yxEP__L.mp4

### Transcript

Project Orion was [...] 1950s and 1960s [...] space travel. [...] nuclear explosions, [...] absorbing [...] promised [...] far beyond [...] Mars in weeks [...] NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Propulsion?**  
A: Bombs. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Years) · Wikipedia: Project Orion (nuclear propulsion))_

**Q: Absorbs blasts?**  
A: Shock. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Lead) · Wikipedia: Project Orion (nuclear propulsion))_

**Q: Era?**  
A: Cold War. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Method) · Wikipedia: Project Orion (nuclear propulsion))_

**Q: What ended it?**  
A: 1963. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Plate) · Wikipedia: Project Orion (nuclear propulsion))_

**Q: Promised trips to Mars in?**  
A: Fast. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (End) · Wikipedia: Project Orion (nuclear propulsion))_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion))

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Project Orion." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-496, last updated Feb 23, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/project-orion/