Why Not Just Dispose Of Nuclear Waste In The Sun?
Rocket to the Sun Do the benefits of sending nuclear waste into the sun outweigh the risks? NASA We could do it, but should we? After FYI answered why dumping the world's nuclear waste into a volcano would be a bad idea, our inbox was flooded with readers wondering, "Well, how about shooting it into the sun?" On paper, this is a fantastic way to wipe our hands clean of all that pesky waste. The sun is a constant nuclear reaction that's about 330,000 times as massive as Earth; it could swallow the tens of thousands of tons of spent nuclear rods as easily as a forest fire consumes a drop of gasoline. And NASA currently has two probes orbiting the sun, so the technology exists to get the job done. Alas, the benefits fall far short of the risk involved. There isn't a space agency or private firm on the planet...