Flying Chernobyl

I read a lot of articles at work, and came across the most devastating weapon ever almost created. It was almost fully developed. Only a test model was made. Who knows maybe even they did in the dark. If made it'sthe deadliest drone/weapon in existence.

It was the perfect airborne death machine—a supersonic drone of nearly unlimited range, loaded with hydrogen bombs zooming around Earth at more than 2,500 miles per hour. To the engineers who worked on its development, it was “technically sweet” and the high point of their careers.

Developed between 1957 and 1964, the Supersonic Low Altitude Missile was one of the craziest, deadliest nuclear weapons systems ever pursued.

It could theoretically fly forever without ever refueling. Effectively killing everyone the missile flew over.

The locomotive-sized cruise missile would loiter at high altitudes above the Soviet Union, before dropping down to treetop level and roaring across enemy territory at Mach 3. Then it would lob nuclear bombs at everything in its path.

Were it ever completed, the missile likely would have worked. But the success of several experimental designs turned out to be the project’s ultimate doom.

The SLAM missile also overcame several interesting engineering challenges. During the 1950s, the vast power and endurance of nuclear energy seemed ideal for powering fast, long-range rockets and airplanes. In theory, a nuclear-powered airplane could stay aloft for days, or fly at incredible speeds without refueling.

In a foxtrotalpha article (that I can't find now) it was said the speed and low level flight would kill people, and destroy infrastructure below from the Shockwave alone.

link

Not to mention the radiation. Good in theory bad in practice. Nothing like radioactive exhaust to warm up your day!!

a reply to: mikell

That was the main point of pluto. It would kill long after it dropped it's payload.

a reply to: Crumbles

The reactor design couldn't fly for ever because the ramjet's heat exchanger would eventually clog. Also stuff breaks down and oxidises far more easily under hard radiation.

In its high altitude phase, it would leave a wake of actinide dust (perhaps the recent radioactive Iodine mystery sources we are seeing over Europe are the output of just such a platform?) which would be detectable.

I would expect that if development was sufficiently advanced towards production that it would be continued in secret once the projec/s were canned.

Similarly, this is a US theoretical weapon. Doesn't stop anyone else from trying the same thing.

Amound of fake news pouring out these day, i wouldn't surprice if the drone was powerd by Jesus.

They sure loved to toy Around with Nukes back in the day.

Hell there was even a plan to Nuke the Moon

Sensing that national morale was low after the Soviets launched Sputnik, the U.S. government coined a plan: they’d nuke the Moon, causing an explosion so big that it’d be visible from Earth. They hoped the explosion would not only boost the confidence and approval of Americans, but serve as a show of power to the Soviets.

When the US almost Nuked the Moon

a reply to: Crumbles

A nuclear powered craft was never even close to being a reality. The US couldn't make the concept work. It simply wasn't feasible. It was a leap of imaginary magic to say that a reactor could power aircraft engines. Actually, it was probably a total facade to fool the Soviets and to cover the real efforts to discover the manner of physics the UFOs were using as that was obviously the better trick..

a reply to: Aliensun

Nuclear rocket engines would have worked just fine, the NRX was pretty much ready to launch when it got killed off.

a reply to: Bedlam

I always wondered why they don't use it in space. It's already littered with radiation.

originally posted by: Crumbles
a reply to: Bedlam

I always wondered why they don't use it in space. It's already littered with radiation.

It leaves a trail of active particulates. This could be pesky if you left a plume that went through a bunch of civilian satellites, or the ISS. Some of them could re-enter, also not good press although the total dose would be quite low. You'd have to coordinate the space traffic so that the solar wind could clear out the exhaust in a safe manner.

a reply to: Bedlam

Well couldn't they use conventional boosters to clear the area. For say mars or further.