What are the risks and benefits of disposing of nuclear waste in outer space?

Question

What are the risks and benefits of disposing of nuclear waste in outer space?

Answer 1

The only reason we'd want to dispose of nuclear waste in space is to rid ourselves of any polution it might cause.  But we'd defeat the purpose because of the amount of polution caused by the rocket launch to do it.  Those rocket launched wouldn't be cheap either.  I just don't think it would be worth it when you compare the cost and the polution of the burning rocket fuel with the effects of the nuclear waste.  Nuclear waste is easily contained when it's burried pretty deep.

Answer 2

While the idea is appealing there are a couple of big problems to over come. One is that there are many thousands of tons of high level nuclear waste to dispose of and therefore it would take thousands of very expensive rocket launches to accomplish.

The second and even more important problem is that rocket launches fail with distressing frequency and so you have the prospect of dozens of failed launches potentially raining nuclear waste down on our heads.

The one benefit is ridding ourselves once and for all waste that we otherwise will need to babysit for a bit more than the next ten thousand years.

Answer 3

The main risk is getting it there, remember Challenger.

If a rocket loaded with nuclear waste exploded like Challenger the radiation would be everywhere. The risk is too high.  If there was a safe way to get it to space the nuclear industry would start building nuke plants at a scarey pace, increasing the chances for a meltdown, terrorist attack or natural disaster.

Answer 4

This is why you need to go to school and learn stuff so you can invent the transporter like thing in Star Trek.

Forget about launching highly radioactive material into space with a rocket. The person ahead of me mentioned the Challenger which is why I gave the answer a thumbs up.

Answer 5

well uh the risk what happens what you have a full load of raidoactive materail explode in the atmosphire veary bad day but as far as the benefits if we dumped our waste in the sun where it would go away probly nothing other than the cost of getting it there