Nuclear waste up and out into space? Would you be for or against polluting space with spent nuclear radioactive material?
(spent fuel rods)
Yea, then in 1000 years, or soemthing UFO's or Martians show up and look at the space around our planet and think to themselves - Them humans - what a bunch a slobs!!
2006-07-26 13:48:13 · 7 answers · asked by johncharlesrealty 2 in Environment
With the space elevators construction the cost of putting anything into orbit will become just about free compared to current costs. So at that time, disposal of the waste in space will be feasable.
2006-07-26 16:07:37 · answer #1 · answered by SnowXNinja 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Much thought has been given to this. Firstly, we wouldnt leave it in orbit, we could launch it into the sun or out of the solar system entirely. (If you think this counts as "polluting" space you have absolutly no understanding of the timescales and distances that we're talking about out there). The main reason this was never attempted is imagining what would have happened if Colombia or Challenger had been carrying 6 tons of high level nuclear waste.
2006-07-26 20:53:49 · answer #2 · answered by milo.3600 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By the time we go completely nuclear for all our energy needs, it will, hopefully, no longer be fission reactors. We should have achieved fusion reactor technology. With fusion reactors, there is no waste. But, since it is far easier to invest money on a known resource to create more profits than it is to invest in research & developement, we're unfortunately going to be using fossil fuel sources for a long, long time yet.
2006-07-27 01:43:26 · answer #3 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you could safely transport nuclear waste into orbit and the send it into the sun to be burned up, we'd solve all our energy problems.
Of course, you'd also have to develop fail-safe nuclear plants and be able to stop all terrorist threats, natural disasters, and tree-huggers... good luck with all that!
2006-07-26 23:52:09 · answer #4 · answered by Jared Z 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a good solution to me...
Hurl the waste into the sun...
2006-07-26 20:51:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it would not happen becuase the cost of transporting waste into space would be insane
2006-07-26 21:08:44 · answer #6 · answered by DaOgs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are already having nuclear testing in space,didn't you know?Maybe it is cooking the atmosphere
2006-07-26 21:20:20 · answer #7 · answered by zarandipity 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋