Editing Nuclear pulse propulsion (section)

{{Short description|Hypothetical spacecraft propulsion through continuous nuclear explosions for thrust}}
{{Distinguish|Pulsed nuclear thermal rocket}}
[[File:NASA-project-orion-artist.jpg|thumb|right|300px|An artist's conception of the [[Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)|Project Orion]] "basic" spacecraft, powered by nuclear pulse propulsion.]]
'''Nuclear pulse propulsion''' or '''external pulsed plasma propulsion''' is a hypothetical method of [[spacecraft propulsion]] that uses [[nuclear explosion]]s for [[thrust]].<ref>{{cite web |title=External Pulsed Plasma Propulsion (EPPP) Analysis Maturation |last=Bonometti |first=Joseph A. |author2=P. Jeff Morton |publisher=NASA Marshall Space Flight Center |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000097368_2000138015.pdf |access-date=December 24, 2008}}</ref> It originated as [[Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)|Project ''Orion'']] with support from [[DARPA]], after a suggestion by [[Stanislaw Ulam]] in 1947.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Project Orion |website=The Story of Orion |date=2008–2009 |url=http://www.oriondrive.com/p1_story_history.php}}</ref> Newer designs using [[inertial confinement fusion]] have been the baseline for most later designs, including [[Project Daedalus|Project ''Daedalus'']] and [[Project Longshot|Project ''Longshot'']].