Ακριβώς πριν από μισό αιώνα αυτή την εβδομάδα, η NASA εκτόξευσε ένα πύραυλο από την ακτή της Californias. It carried the first and only known US space nuclear reactor, SNAP-10A, which has been orbiting Earth ever since and will continue to do so for the next 3.000 years.
Back in the 1960 decade, NASA with the Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) program sought to study the potential of nuclear power in εξερεύνηση of space. This program sent the first thermoelectric radioisotope generators, a technology still used today, on space missions such as Voyager and Curiosity. Thermoelectric radioisotope generators are not nuclear reactors. They simply harness the heat from some radioactive element, such as plutonium-238.
SNAP 10-A was different. In fact, it was a functional reactor with a controlled fission reaction. It contained enough uranium fuel to produce up to 600 watts of power for a year. Twelve hours after taking off at 3 April 1965, it was in 500 orbit over Earth and humans and scientists set the reactor remotely.
In the beginning, things were going well. But 43 days later, the satellite electrical systems ceased to operate, and the reactor was shut down. At the moment, as we mentioned above, we are still on track, and considering its current course, NASA expects to remain on track for the next 3.000 years.
But in November 1979, SNAP-10A began to lose parts from an "unfortunate event." Over the next 6 years, almost 50 pieces left the satellite again due to "unfortunate events." According to NASA's report, "no radioactive materials escaped but this has not been confirmed." Of course, among the unfortunate events that caused the disintegration of the satellite and is not documented in more detail, it may also include a conflict.
From SNAP 10-A onwards, NASA (PDF) continued to "play" with nuclear reactors in space, such as the SP-100 in the 70s, Gizmodo reports. Nevertheless themeτα χρηματοδότησης και ανησυχίες για την ασφάλεια σταμάτησαν το πρόγραμμα. Οι ΗΠΑ αυτή τη στιγμή έχουν μόνο τον SNAP-1OA, αλλά η Ρωσία έχει στείλει δεκάδες δορυφόρους με πυρηνικούς αντιδραστήρες στο διάστημα. O πιο διαβόητος από αυτούς συνετρίβη και διάσπαρτα ραδιενεργά συντρίμμια έπεσαν σε όλο τον Καναδά το 1978.
