/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15195437
>public opinion that would prevent any nuclear rocket being launched from earth
...In the West.

This is a late 50s or early 60s R7 variant with an ammonia-fueled nuclear core stage. It was expected to lift about 40 tons to LEO, and if they felt they needed it, they would have built it. The Soviet's wouldn't have given two shits about public opinion.

These days you'd have to look to China for something like this. Their superheavy-lift and reusability programs seem to be progressing at an acceptable pace, but if Starship gets too far ahead of everyone else there's always the chance they'd reach for something crazy to close the gap some.