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5436436347 | 3 years ago

1. There’s extra danger every time nuclear material is launched on a satellite, be it for a thermal generator like on the Curiosity rover, or some failed tests the USA did on Pacific islands in the 60s as part of Operation Fishbowl that resulted in a large amount of waste spread downwind. 2. No satellites can actually reach the sun - to do so, anything launched from Eart would need to cancel the forward velocity to force its orbit to “fall” into the Sun. This is such a high number that it’d be cost prohibitive for the amount of fuel and size of launch vehicle required.

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orangepurple|3 years ago

Ever heard of a gravitational slingshot?

We aren't exploding the nuclear waste in the form of a bomb when we launch it via satellite. It could also just fall into the ocean in case of a failed launch, where it probably won't be a problem.

ncmncm|3 years ago

A gravitational slingshot short of Jupiter would not suffice, and maybe not then.