Orion Hot Rod

American nuclear pulse test vehicle. The modified test article for Project Orion had a total mass of 105 kg. The outer shell and upper shock absorber of the original design were deleted and a parachute recovery system added.

Six aluminum-encased charges, each with 1.04 kg of C4 high explosive, were ejected from the rear of the pusher plate and exploded 866 mm behind the plate over a 35 second period. An initial charge of 452 kg of gunpowder in a mortar-like launch cylinder got the craft going. The hot rod successfully achieved stable acceleration and reached an altitude of 105 m on 12 November 1959 from Point Loma California. This proved the concept of the larger nuclear-powered design.