3 ms·
Earth's orbital velocity is 29.78 km/s, and the escape velocity from the Solar System, at Earth's distance, is 42.1 km/s. Of you want to get rid of something,
by sampo 12y ago
Earth's orbital velocity is 29.78 km/s, and the escape velocity from the Solar System, at Earth's distance, is 42.1 km/s.
Of you want to get rid of something, it would be energy-wise cheaper to shoot it out of the solar system, than to slow it down completely so that it would drop into the Sun.
- ghshephard 12y agoIf you shoot it out of the solar system though, then you are littering the region outside our solar system with nuclear waste that future generations might stumble across as they start exploring the galaxy.
- nitrogen 12y agoSpace is a pretty big place.
- ghshephard 12y agoIt's pretty big inside the solar system - I can't even begin to imagine how large a space nuclear fuel capsule shot on a solar-system escape velocity would have to itself.