3 ms·
> ...discounting nuclear radiation effects, of course https://history.nasa.gov/conghand/nuclear.htm https://history.nasa.gov/conghand/nuclear.htm > Third, in
by computerex 9y ago
> ...discounting nuclear radiation effects, of course
https://history.nasa.gov/conghand/nuclear.htm https://history.nasa.gov/conghand/nuclear.htm
> Third, in the absence of the atmosphere, nuclear radiation will suffer no physical attenuation and the only degradation in intensity will arise from reduction with distance. As a result the range of significant dosages will be many times greater than is the case at sea level. With such weapons the lethal radii (from nuclear radiation) in space may be of the order of hundreds of miles.
- jloughry 9y agoI didn't know that. Thanks! Also: Second, thermal radiation, as usually defined, also disappears. There is no longer any air for the blast wave to heat and much higher frequency radiation is emitted from the weapon itself. So more of the energy of the bomb remains in the x-ray or gamma portion of the spectrum---penetrating radiation, hard to shield against---in addition to the longer effective range.