Propelling force of Atomic Blast?

[Christina2015]

Assuming a spaceship could be impervious to the damaging effects of a nearby atomic blast, what speed could the ship reach in space due to the explosion? Interested to know how to figure that.

 

[Nugatory]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)

 

[mathman]

When you say "nearby", is the bomb directly connected, such as Orion? If it is simply nearby, the major effect on the spaceship would be radiation. There would not be any blast effect (vacuum).

 

[Aaronvan]

But even if the bomb was not directly connected, the vaporized casing would impinge on the pusher plate (say) of the space craft. It seems with enough bombs the ship would approach the velocity of the vaporized casing.

 

[Nugatory]

But even if the bomb was not directly connected, the vaporized casing would impinge on the pusher plate (say) of the space craft. It seems with enough bombs the ship would approach the velocity of the vaporized casing.

With multiple bombs the ship is not limited to the velocity of the bomb fragments, for the same reason that the speed of a rocket is not limited by its exhaust velocity.