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"Second, there's what to do with old fuel rods. Proponents argue this is a solved problem and it can be stored for the long term in geologically stable storage

"Second, there's what to do with old fuel rods. Proponents argue this is a solved problem and it can be stored for the long term in geologically stable storage facilities." With space travel becoming cheaper and cheaper, cant we deposit that on the moon for example?

adt2bt 5y ago
The general concern there is a rocket malfunction spewing spent fuel rods over a large terrestrial area before it gets the chance to reach the moon.
- blaze33 5y ago
  Yes. Also, given the huge volume of radioactive waste (eg. like 10s of thousands cubic meters just in France) it would require thousands of rocket launches for such an endeavour. Launch failure rates at best nearing 1%, space don't look like our best option here.
  - orwin 5y ago
    From edf: "Ces déchets sont constitués, principalement, des matières non valorisables récupérées après le traitement du combustible usé. Les matières sont incorporées dans du verre en fusion, lui-même coulé dans un conteneur en acier. Les conteneurs contiennent 400 kg de verre pour 11 kg de déchets. Les conteneurs, en raison de la chaleur qu’ils dégagent, doivent être entreposés pour être refroidis pendant au moins une cinquantaine d’années avant d’être définitivement stockés. Le volume total de ces déchets équivaudra à 6 700 m³ à l'issue de 40 années d’exploitation du parc nucléaire français. Les déchets à vie longue représentent 10 % du volume total des déchets et concentrent 99,9 % de la radioactivité."[0] So 6300 cubic meter over 40 years of operations. [edit] counting the glass to make them manipulable. [0] https://www.edf.fr/sites/default/files/contrib/groupe-edf/producteur-industriel/notes-d-informations/note20dechets202013.pdf https://www.edf.fr/sites/default/files/contrib/groupe-edf/pr...
  - t0m4 5y ago
    It seems that’s quiet the same proportion of nuclear core meltdown. But yes the fallouts could be way worse and it’s actually a bad idea but in 100 years, who knows ?
LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Sorry. Can't do that. Public opinion would go mad because of that: Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television programme that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977.[1] In the opening episode, set in the year 1999, nuclear waste stored on the Moon's far side explodes, knocking the Moon out of orbit and sending it, as well as the 311 inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, hurtling uncontrollably into space. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space%3A_1999 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space%3A_1999 Seriously!1!!
Tabular-Iceberg 5y ago
Ignoring rocket reliability, projects that try to protect the environment by wasting more energy are just counterproductive.

adt2bt 5y ago

The general concern there is a rocket malfunction spewing spent fuel rods over a large terrestrial area before it gets the chance to reach the moon.

blaze33 5y ago
Yes. Also, given the huge volume of radioactive waste (eg. like 10s of thousands cubic meters just in France) it would require thousands of rocket launches for such an endeavour. Launch failure rates at best nearing 1%, space don't look like our best option here.
- orwin 5y ago
  From edf: "Ces déchets sont constitués, principalement, des matières non valorisables récupérées après le traitement du combustible usé. Les matières sont incorporées dans du verre en fusion, lui-même coulé dans un conteneur en acier. Les conteneurs contiennent 400 kg de verre pour 11 kg de déchets. Les conteneurs, en raison de la chaleur qu’ils dégagent, doivent être entreposés pour être refroidis pendant au moins une cinquantaine d’années avant d’être définitivement stockés. Le volume total de ces déchets équivaudra à 6 700 m³ à l'issue de 40 années d’exploitation du parc nucléaire français. Les déchets à vie longue représentent 10 % du volume total des déchets et concentrent 99,9 % de la radioactivité."[0] So 6300 cubic meter over 40 years of operations. [edit] counting the glass to make them manipulable. [0] https://www.edf.fr/sites/default/files/contrib/groupe-edf/producteur-industriel/notes-d-informations/note20dechets202013.pdf https://www.edf.fr/sites/default/files/contrib/groupe-edf/pr...
- t0m4 5y ago
  It seems that’s quiet the same proportion of nuclear core meltdown. But yes the fallouts could be way worse and it’s actually a bad idea but in 100 years, who knows ?

LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago

Sorry. Can't do that. Public opinion would go mad because of that: Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television programme that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977.[1] In the opening episode, set in the year 1999, nuclear waste stored on the Moon's far side explodes, knocking the Moon out of orbit and sending it, as well as the 311 inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, hurtling uncontrollably into space. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space%3A_1999 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space%3A_1999 Seriously!1!!

Tabular-Iceberg 5y ago

Ignoring rocket reliability, projects that try to protect the environment by wasting more energy are just counterproductive.