Voyages interplanétaires et énergie atomique

Robert Richard-Foy, Maurice de Broglie (pref.)
Year1947
PublisherAlbin Michel
PlaceParis
LanguageFR
Pages77
SeriesSciences d'aujourd'hui
Rating★★★★☆ (4/5)
AudienceAcademic, Specialist
LevelExpert
Keywords
astronauticspropulsionrocketinterplanetary travelatomic energy
ThemesLaunchers & Propulsion

A short essay (1947) in which Robert Richard-Foy, an alumnus of École polytechnique and doctor of sciences, examines whether atomic energy makes interplanetary travel feasible. The author applies Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation and thermodynamics to evaluate the mass, propulsion and radiation-shielding constraints of a nuclear-powered spacecraft, written in the immediate aftermath of Hiroshima. His conclusion, strikingly pessimistic for the period, identifies three technical bottlenecks: isothermal nozzles operating at extreme temperatures, heat-resistant structural materials, and concentrated U-235 reactors usable safely. Interplanetary navigation, he writes, remains "currently very improbable"; atomic aviation would be a more accessible horizon.

📖 Editorial Review

A short essay in which Robert Richard-Foy, a Polytechnique-trained aeronautical engineer, examines without complacency whether atomic energy could open the age of interplanetary travel. With a preface by Maurice de Broglie, the analysis arrives at a verdict of caution rarely seen in 1947. --- …