(Part 1)
(Part 2)
(Part 3)
(Part 4)
(Part 5)
These guys really are awe-inspiring. The things they could have done if given a free hand are pretty amazing, and scary. Compared to the small-scale, limited way in which space is approached these days, this project seems like it really could have done big things. So sad that it got shelved.
Anyone who wants to read more about the Orion Project can click on this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29
"It's all too easy for a madman, a terrorist or a criminal to build his own atomic bomb...I've been worried about it ever since I made my first one."
-- Dr. Theodore Taylor
A schematic of the ship: