Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Withstrangeaeons_ t1_j26i3cf wrote

Reply to comment by HeebieMcJeeberson in What if we kept pursuing nuclear spacecraft propulsion? by rosTopicEchoChamber

We already have the magic bullet, and we've had it since the US government made nukes. Search up "nuclear waste reprocessing", but also the costs associated with it. Then Google the price to mine one kg of uranium or thorium, and you'll see why reprocessing hasn't been done yet. Sure would be a shame if the unwashed masses decided to just bury all that potential energy, though (in case it becomes more expensive to mine radioactive material), out of fear of anything having to do with radiation.

1

HeebieMcJeeberson t1_j27phgg wrote

If you want to go down the government rabbit hole think about thorium reactors, which would be safer and cheaper than uranium/plutonium and with much less waste. We could have had these long ago, but thorium reactors can't produce weapons-grade plutonium, which is why the research money didn't go that route.

2

Withstrangeaeons_ t1_j2duwzp wrote

Exactly. My take on those people's thinking:

"Say, boss, I noticed that this thing called thorium is also radioactive."

"Can it be turned into nukes?"

"Uhhhh.... It's harder, but yo-"

"Scrap it! Uranium is better for our purposes, then. Forget about thorium."

2