Aerospace technology is going backwards. It peaked with Concorde and the Space Shuttle. When those things became unviable, actual progress in space technology became unviable. At that point, we should have re-thought the profit driven, extracted energy-dependent business model. Thinking what is happening now, the reuse of sixty years old rocket technology, to launch the odd sportscar, the shrapnel named as starlink, and lately the biggest firework in history, starship, whilst the environment collapses around us, are things to shout about as "Progress", should have stuck to the Sci-Fi.

This story we are seeing now is even crazier than the craziest sci-fi, and those invested in it, sell it always by ignoring or suppressing the bad news.

As you said, no one is talking about nuclear propulsion inside the atmosphere. That is only possible, if the lessons of the past, like project Orion are ignored, or dismissed as sci-fi.

But, if you are aware of the masses involved, as you would be if you know anything about the Orion project, by definition, the only way to get those masses into space, is by nuclear propulsion all the way.

The same problems as existed in the 60s to 80s, still exist now. They couldn't defeat those problems then, with all the government funding that existed then. What makes you think now is any better than then?