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NASA and the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration - Naval Reactors (NR) Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will lead to the development, design, delivery, and operational support of civilian space nuclear reactors within NASA's Project Prometheus.
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and DOE NNSA Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors Admiral Frank. L. "Skip" Bowman, U.S. Navy, signed the MOU at NASA Headquarters.
"The development of this space nuclear power system will provide an important new capability to NASA for carrying out the Vision for Space Exploration, allowing us to explore farther and do more science than ever before," said Administrator O'Keefe.
"This work will lead to the development of safe and reliable power generating systems that will alleviate current limitations in space power generation and propulsion that have persisted for decades, and which limit our ability to explore the solar system," he added.
Originally posted by Kriz_4
OK, what right does any single country have to decide it is ok for them to float nuclear material obove the Earth?
As for Star Wars defence, again what right does any country have to orbit missles around the Earth?
Originally posted by Cercey
And, what's going to happen to the nuclear waste? Will it just orbit Earth like all the other space junk? Just send off on a merry journey through space? Hmmmm...
The idea of a nuclear *anything* above my head is rather scary. Would nuclear fallout be capable of reaching the earth?