Glenn Reynolds wrote back in 2002 that a country which is less concerned about radiation might use this technology to leapfrog the US and everybody else in space.

I could see China launching an Orion from Outer Mongolia.

They’d probably give us a heads-up a few minutes before launch, “That massive nuclear explosion you’re going to detect – don’t be frightened – it’s just us on the way to Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. See ya!”