4 ms·
It just depends how much you're willing to spend. You could put it in the sun or on a solar system escaping trajectory if you wanted to. Gravitational slingshot
by gnode 7y ago
It just depends how much you're willing to spend. You could put it in the sun or on a solar system escaping trajectory if you wanted to. Gravitational slingshots can be used to do so with a lower delta-v than naively required.
With reusable spacecraft, the cost could conceivably approach that of the propellants required, making such disposal permanent and cost effective.
That said, we're still not sure we want to get rid of high level nuclear waste; it's potentially a valuable source of fuel if some reactor technologies are developed.
- arethuza 7y agoGetting to the sun actually requires more energy than leaving the solar system: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/parker-solar-probe-launch-nasa/567197/ https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/parker-s...
- gnode 7y agoIndeed, although you wouldn't just use 30km/s of delta-v to cancel the Earth's orbit, or 12.3km/s to escape the solar system. The Ulysses probe for instance used a gravitational assist around Jupiter to not only counter Earth's 30km/s orbit, but establish a counter-rotational orbit around the sun. My understanding is the ideal target would depend on the time you wished to launch, and the orbital phase of planets useful for gravity assists.
- arethuza 7y agoWell, if you are going to do that, why not dump it in Jupiter? [NB Not that I would be in favour of that, but seems easier than the other options].