Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!ap10+ From: ap10+@andrew.cmu.edu (Anand Patwardan) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: Two questions Message-ID: <4YAfKMy00XcPM2Sl0B@andrew.cmu.edu> Date: 30 Mar 89 23:17:44 GMT References: Organization: Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 24 To: Outbound News Subject: Re: Two questions, Radioactive waste disposal The option of disposing radioactive waste into space has been thought of - off and on. The problem seems to be one of volume and weight; there is just an enormous amount of the waste lying around. If you consider that even getting 2000 Kg satellites into geo stationary orbits is a non-trivial task and all our planetary space probes are very light and compact; even getting a small part of the stuff out into space and ensuring that it does get into the sun(which seems the most feasible alt- ernative) will probably be very difficult. Perhaps when(or if) the space station is built, it will be easier to send packets of the "hottest" wastes into the sun ( or into orbits around other planets).... by launching them from space. Anand Patwardhan EPP, CMU ----------------