Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcce!johnson
From: johnson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Wayne D. T. Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Two questions.
Message-ID: <1220@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM>
Date: 31 Mar 89 18:33:40 GMT
References: <3288@nunki.usc.edu>
Reply-To: johnson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Wayne D. T. Johnson)
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCR Comten, Inc.
Lines: 37

In article <3288@nunki.usc.edu> sawant@nunki.usc.edu () writes:
>
>1.  I thought the idea of having spacecraft merely 'nudge' asteroids
>towards earth was really neat.  Question: won't it be awfully hard to
>get the exact trajectory of the asteroid correct?  

Good thought, kind of like playing intergalactic billards with egg shaped
balls.

>2.  If it's not very hard getting some kind of hot fusion going, isn't
>it a easy solution to the radioactive waste problem to chuck it into a
>merrily burning fusion reaction?  Alternatively, shoot it into the
>center of the sun.  Alternatively, shoot it at the stars.  Why have we
>only thought of earth-based solutions to radioactive wastes so far?

The only easy hot fusion that I know of (given my admittedly limited knowlage
on the subject) is that in an H-Bomb, the side effects of this would be a
bit dramatic (as well as noisy).  

The idea of launching the wastes into space has been thought of by others, 
but can you imagine what would have happened if the Challenger
was carrying up a load of spent fuel cores. There would be radioactive
pellets scattered about most of the eastern seaboard.  Does anyone know
how far away from the Cape that pieces of the Challenger were found?

Even with the use of a rail launcher the risks would be high.  There is still
a chance that a structural failure or failure on the part of the power supply
that could dump the load in the middle of someones lap.

The idea is good but the risks make it unusable.


-- 
Wayne Johnson                 (Voice) 612-638-7665
NCR Comten, Inc.             (E-MAIL) W.Johnson@StPaul.NCR.COM or
Roseville MN 55113                    johnson@c10sd1.StPaul.NCR.COM
These opinions (or spelling) do not necessarily reflect those of NCR Comten.