Project Pluto

USA / Nevada / Indian Springs /
 military  Add category
Area once used to test theories behind a nuclear powered ramjets.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   36°49'4"N   116°9'39"W

Comments

  • whats a ramjet?
  • a reactor without moving parts... really speed (mach3...) ask "SLAM" to wikipedia, or click on the blues words upside... :D
  • It's a jet engine without moving parts no compressor blades are used to compress the air. A shock cone is used instead. See the Lockheed D-21 drone to see a ramjet aircraft.
  • The end results of this goat-screw of an idea can be seen in Idaho at the INEL facility...huge, HUGE engines that never worked, and there they sit...fun to gawk at.
  • PLUTO was a nuclear-powered ramjet that was quite compact. The experimental reactors at the Idaho National Labs site are different. They worked fine, they were just way too big to ever fly successfully, especially when you consider the weight of the shielding necessary to keep the pilots alive.
This article was last modified 18 years ago