THE ORION PROJECT

by PETER SWIRSKI

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Pub Date Sep 08 2026 | Archive Date Aug 31 2026

BOOKMASON HOUSE | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Science

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Description

During a critical phase of the Cold War, NASA launches a mission which culminates decades of clandestine development of a nuclear pulse-driven spacecraft—a super-rocket propelled by atom bomb explosions. Held back by the 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Orion is revived in secret and launched in 1973 under the guise of a Skylab supply mission.

What really happened to the mission described as “the worse disaster in the history of NASA”? What role was played by the pilot Jack Trew, vilified as “the Herostratus of the American space program”? Who were the personalities behind the ill-starred Orion Project? Perhaps most of all, what are the values in the name of which we reach for the Moon and, in the near future, Mars?

During a critical phase of the Cold War, NASA launches a mission which culminates decades of clandestine development of a nuclear pulse-driven spacecraft—a super-rocket propelled by atom bomb...

A Note From the Publisher

Additional Book Formats with (ISBN-13)
Ebook: 9781067354817

Advance Praise

“Philosophical space race thriller with pensive reflections on humanity’s ambitions…The Orion Projectcritiques not just the space race, but all structures that prioritize ambition over accountability, ultimately questioning whether humanity will ever be ethically ready to expand beyond Earth.” —Booklife/Publishers Weekly

“A brilliantly narrated political novel…” —Kirkus Reviews

“Every old-time space buff sighs wistfully whenever Freeman Dyson’s canceled Project Orion is mentioned. If only! If only! Well, here it is, brilliantly revived in Peter Swirski’s edge-of-your-seat thriller, a mystery rich with both real science and pointed commentary. Enjoy!” —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative

“Brilliant… deserves wide recognition.” —Stanislaw Lem, author of Solaris, on Peter Swirski

“Philosophical space race thriller with pensive reflections on humanity’s ambitions…The Orion Projectcritiques not just the space race, but all structures that prioritize ambition over...

Available Editions

EDITION	Paperback
ISBN	9781067354800
PRICE	$17.95 (USD)
PAGES	325

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