Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Don't forget the space nukes [reactors]! Some of them exploded, and stringed the planet with Saturn-like rings of nuclear dust[0]; others are slowly oscillating towards Earth like the blade from the Poe story, to impact sometime a few centuries from now.

[0] https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190033494/downloads/20... ("The NaK Population: a 2019 Status" (.pdf))






To be clear, nuclear reactors, not nuclear bombs. It's droplets of the liquid metal they used as coolant in their nuclear powered ocean radar recon satellites.

It's both nuclear fuel and droplets, although the clouds of metal droplets are much easier to track by radar. Several of the space reactors did explode (were observed to break up and fragment).



Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: