4 ms·

SNAP-10A was an experimental nuclear reactor launched into space in 1965

30 points by nstj 11y ago

InclinedPlane 11y ago
This should read: one of the dozens of...
ninjin 11y ago
Several satellites with nuclear reactors have even crashed. Luckily, most appear to have ended up in the ocean, but here is a more scary example [1]. Here is a map of the area with potential debris that I found hidden away over at Wikimedia Commons [2]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954 [2]: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Cosmos-954_Map.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Cosmos-9...
- nstj 11y ago
  Scary!
rubyfan 11y ago
What was the logic for putting these in space? I might have missed it in the article but since I'm ignorant to the details of the safety of these things it seems like a dumb idea to put a reactor into an uncontrollable orbit around the earth.
- InclinedPlane 11y ago
  Power used to be a lot harder to come by, so there was a lot of experimentation with nuclear tech. Some of it more sensible than others. The US only experimented with one reactor before deciding it mostly wasn't worth it. The Soviets launched over thirty reactors, to power the orbital naval radar satellites they had (which effectively monitored every surface naval vessel in the world).
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- rahuldeshpande 11y ago
  From an article - Because a return signal from an ordinary target illuminated by a radar transmitter diminishes as the inverse of the fourth power of the distance, for the surveillance radar to work effectively, these satellites had to be placed in low Earth orbit. Had they used large solar panels for power, the orbit would have rapidly decayed due to drag through the upper atmosphere. Further, the satellite would have been useless in the shadow of Earth.
rubyfan 11y ago
Also, isn't this the plot from Golden Eye?
- acidburnNSA 11y ago
  No, but Project Excalibur was verry similar to the Golden Eye plot. Only difference is that it used nuclear explosions to pump x-ray lasers that would shoot down enemy ballistic missiles rather than directed EMPs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excalibur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excalibur Fun fact though, detonating nuclear weapons in outer space causes very wide-spread EMPs. It's a very good thing that the Starfish Prime test was done out in the Pacific instead of at the Nevada test site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime
rwmj 11y ago
In other news, a massive fusion reactor has been found near the earth that periodically releases uncontrollable bursts of energy and radiation. http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/nicky/cme-chase.html http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/nicky/cme-chase.html
- DanielBMarkham 11y ago
  Not sure if I believe this. It's never visible in the night sky.
- raphaelj 11y ago
  You got me on this one.

30 points by nstj 11y ago

This should read: one of the dozens of...

Several satellites with nuclear reactors have even crashed. Luckily, most appear to have ended up in the ocean, but here is a more scary example [1]. Here is a map of the area with potential debris that I found hidden away over at Wikimedia Commons [2]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954 [2]: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Cosmos-954_Map.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Cosmos-9...

nstj 11y ago
Scary!

rubyfan 11y ago

What was the logic for putting these in space? I might have missed it in the article but since I'm ignorant to the details of the safety of these things it seems like a dumb idea to put a reactor into an uncontrollable orbit around the earth.

InclinedPlane 11y ago
Power used to be a lot harder to come by, so there was a lot of experimentation with nuclear tech. Some of it more sensible than others. The US only experimented with one reactor before deciding it mostly wasn't worth it. The Soviets launched over thirty reactors, to power the orbital naval radar satellites they had (which effectively monitored every surface naval vessel in the world).
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
rahuldeshpande 11y ago
From an article - Because a return signal from an ordinary target illuminated by a radar transmitter diminishes as the inverse of the fourth power of the distance, for the surveillance radar to work effectively, these satellites had to be placed in low Earth orbit. Had they used large solar panels for power, the orbit would have rapidly decayed due to drag through the upper atmosphere. Further, the satellite would have been useless in the shadow of Earth.

rubyfan 11y ago

Also, isn't this the plot from Golden Eye?

acidburnNSA 11y ago
No, but Project Excalibur was verry similar to the Golden Eye plot. Only difference is that it used nuclear explosions to pump x-ray lasers that would shoot down enemy ballistic missiles rather than directed EMPs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excalibur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excalibur Fun fact though, detonating nuclear weapons in outer space causes very wide-spread EMPs. It's a very good thing that the Starfish Prime test was done out in the Pacific instead of at the Nevada test site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime

rwmj 11y ago

In other news, a massive fusion reactor has been found near the earth that periodically releases uncontrollable bursts of energy and radiation. http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/nicky/cme-chase.html http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/nicky/cme-chase.html

DanielBMarkham 11y ago
Not sure if I believe this. It's never visible in the night sky.
raphaelj 11y ago
You got me on this one.