Not sure anyone would sign off on sending potential dirty bombs into space.
At least not anymore… We did a successful test of a nuclear powered ramjet in the 60’s with project Neptune. But I guess that was before people were afraid of dirty bombs welded into the shape of cruise missiles.
There was also a plan to explode nuclear bombs on shorelines to create artificial harbors, and of course the infamous Project Orion, a manned interstellar spaceship powered by exploding hydrogen bombs. Doing unhinged shit with nukes was all the rage back then I guess
At least not anymore… We did a successful test of a nuclear powered ramjet in the 60’s with project Neptune. But I guess that was before people were afraid of dirty bombs welded into the shape of cruise missiles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_A119
You probably know about it, but I thought I’d throw it into the mix.
tl, dr = the Air Force was planning on detonating an atom bomb on the moon because shit like that made sense in the Cold War.
There was also a plan to explode nuclear bombs on shorelines to create artificial harbors, and of course the infamous Project Orion, a manned interstellar spaceship powered by exploding hydrogen bombs. Doing unhinged shit with nukes was all the rage back then I guess
If you haven’t seen it, “The Three Body Problem” is a good series with a lot of wild ideas.
They use the hydrogen bomb spaceship idea.
Be honest, if you had a lot of nukes lying around, you wouldn’t at least consider nuking the moon?
Also when you think about it, nuking the Moon is way less insane than nuking the Earth over 2000 times.
https://youtu.be/fLQiihXTFZk
The video was inspired by an idea used in ‘The Three Body Problem’ series.
the tl, dr is that atom bombs could be used to make a spaceship.