From the Wikipedia article: "After delivering all its warheads, the missile could then spend weeks flying over populated areas at low altitudes, causing tremen

From the Wikipedia article: "After delivering all its warheads, the missile could then spend weeks flying over populated areas at low altitudes, causing tremendous ground damage with its shock wave and radiation from its unshielded reactor. When it finally lost enough power to fly, and crash-landed, the engine would have a good chance of spewing deadly radiation for months to come." "Too provocative" was a pretty mild way of putting it.