I once heard of a scheme to dispose of nuclear waste by putting it on a rocket and firing it away from the planet, but the idea was abandoned because of cost and danger of a mechanical failure in the rocket...
Why not blend radioactive waste with iron and fire it out of a massive magnetic accelerator gun and into an orbit where it isn't likely to come back any time soon? The gun would be reusable, much less can go wrong mechanically, there aren't even any combustibles involved... Does this sound plausible?
2006-11-27 06:51:33 · 8 answers · asked by thebraindamaged1 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Ok, it would pollute space. However, the alternative is Yucca Mountain, which would pollute our planet...
2006-11-27 07:12:50 · update #1
It is possible, at about $20,000/pound to just shoot it to the sun. Just one ton, a few barrels of nuclear sludge, would cost $40M.
And railgun technology, tho potentially much cheaper per pound, has a ways to go yet, more so in the research and funding than the physics. Still won't be cheap tho. The space elevator probably has an edge there. As well, current conventional space craft approaches with reusable launch vehicles are making great progress which will be paying off in just the next decade.
Anyway, maybe someday when spaceflight is a bit more economical
2006-11-27 07:47:28 · answer #1 · answered by Gary H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sun is a giant nuclear reactor. Im sure that if this thing were shot well you could put the nuclear material into the sun, and never see it again. The radiation coming out of the sun, measured at the surface of the sun, is much higher than anything all the terrestrial reactors put together can do. The problem with the gun is, making the iron spheres poisons the foundry so you would have to make them on-site.
I think that making a giant boll-gun might be good.
What happens with a misfire? Is the iron thing tough enough to live through re-entry? Might it take out the space station or the shuttle by accident?
2006-11-27 07:13:49 · answer #2 · answered by Curly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, It is against international law to dispose of waste in space, this hasn't stopped the Russians though, they eject EVERY thing out of the space craft. There is now so much crap up there, that they only do space walks when necessary, and it is done with the shuttle turned to protect the crew member from debris, a fleck of paint traveling at 2500 mph can do some damage if it strikes someone.
2006-11-27 07:03:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
draw close wrap (saran wrap) a police vehicle stroll bare right into a police station and declare amnesia scouse borrow a monkey from the zoo make a sculpture out of your boogers youngster nap a backyard gnome fly a distant controlled airplane for the time of the mall prepare a canine to stroll backwards tell your dad and mom your gay (and watch for the seems on thier face) bomb scare a fireworks warehouse shave a swear be conscious in a poodle
2016-12-29 13:55:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why not recycle nuclear waste or just shot the missiles from satallites into the sun.
2006-11-27 15:59:22 · answer #5 · answered by I Like Stupid Questions 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your idea is not so bad but, I think that cost of the massive accelerator would be the problem again.
2006-11-27 07:00:09 · answer #6 · answered by CHESSLARUS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not to sound like a tree-hugger, but space is not ours to throw our garbage into. especially nuclear garbage. i knew nuclear technology was going to turn out badly. but nobody listened to me.
2006-11-27 07:03:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
hmm...curiously possible. But how much would this "gun" cost vs. just doing whatever they already do?
2006-11-27 06:55:31 · answer #8 · answered by Diadem 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋