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We'll Ride Nuke to Mars: Russia

Space program plans elusive nuclear spaceship by 2012

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 30, 2009 12:33 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Russians are planning to ride a $600 million nuclear-powered spaceship to Mars, and they say they may begin construction by 2012. “It’s a very serious project, and we need to find the money,” president Dmitry Medvedev says. Small nuclear reactors and batteries have long powered satellites, but their adaptation to any spacecraft, let alone an interplanetary one, has proved elusive.

“I don’t think anyone ever will,” a Russian expert tells the Christian Science Monitor. Counters another Russian expert: “The former USSR had a lot of accumulated experience in this field. The idea has bright prospects.” Whether or not it works, a Greenpeace expert says, it’s actually a terrible idea. Things shot into orbit can make a “sometimes unscripted return” into Earth’s atmosphere. “There is a history here that warns us to be very, very cautious about this idea.”

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.   (AP Photo)
Mars, in the Hubble.
Mars, in the Hubble.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 23 comments
divetrader
Oct 31, 2009 7:22 AM CDT
I think everybody should just get back to transporter technology. This spacecraft stuff is lame.
riffran
Oct 31, 2009 4:49 AM CDT
I was wondering what you were getting at....just because it was so unusual....here is a thumbs up...*click*
plstyle
Oct 31, 2009 3:59 AM CDT
so, heres how my lil science experiment went down; 5 thumbs down, we'll assume these people have jobs at or similar to the fine MC D's.. 2 thumbs up, these people must have listened to the tune multiple times, and might of even added it to their Itune playlist. 1 account created esp because of the article, this one must have been going nuts break dancing to the beat, planing who what and when their going to give this stunt a try,.. Everybody else must have been mildly amused. Conclusion? there are more tight asses in the world then one might think.

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