Re: Disposing of nuclear waste.

From: Gregory L. Hansen (glhansen_at_steel.ucs.indiana.edu)
Date: 10/09/04 

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 22:38:34 +0000 (UTC)

In article <jnZ9d.13$45.2819@news.uchicago.edu>,
 <mmeron@cars3.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>In article <41682730.A563923C@spambtinternet.com.invalid>, George Cox
><george_coxanti@spambtinternet.com.invalid> writes:
>>mmeron@cars3.uchicago.edu wrote:
>>>
>>> In article <j4hk32-7eq.ln1@sirius.athghost7038suus.net>, The Ghost In
>The Machine <ewill@sirius.athghost7038suus.net> writes:
>>> >In sci.physics, George Cox
>>> ><george_coxanti@spambtinternet.com.invalid>
>>> > wrote
>>> >on Wed, 6 Oct 2004 20:18:43 +0000 (UTC)
>>> ><41645322.E49F1D98@spambtinternet.com.invalid>:
>>> >> Why can't it be fired into the sun by rocket? Too expensive? Too
>>> >> dangerous?...
>>> >
>>> >It could; the main problem is that the Earth is moving at 30 km/s
>>> >relative to the Sun -- and then there's the problem of getting the
>>> >stuff out of Earth's "gravity well".
>>> >
>>> >For every 1 kg fired into the Sun one would have to expend at least
>>> >1/2 * 1 * (30,000)^2 = 450 megaJoules of energy -- about
>>> >the equivalent of 10 gallons of gasoline. With current rockets,
>>> >one has to accelerate at least part of the fuel as well,
>>> >requiring additional energy.
>>>
>>> I'll repeat what I already wrote once on this topic. It is easier to
>>> launch something out of the solar system than to fire it into the sun.
>>
>>One wouldn't want to do that for fear of poisoning aliens.
>
>Evaluate the probability of anything you launch hitting any planet,
>anywhere in the galaxy, over the next, say, billion years.

Or the activity of the waste by the time it gets to the planet. 

-- 
"'No user-serviceable parts inside.'  I'll be the judge of that!"

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