AHC: Recover the nuclear cores of RORSAT (US-A) for peaceful purposes

Re-use of the RORSAT nuclear cores

  • No! Leave that debris where it flies now!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Recover for disposal

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • Recover for refit on orbit

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • Scavenge uranium and build a new reactor(s) on orbit

    Votes: 2 50.0%
  • Mission impossible

    Votes: 1 25.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    4

trurle

Banned
With the current political situation, launching nuclear reactors to orbit is nearly impossible. What is commonly overlooked, is what at least 15 RORSAT reactor cores (each filled with 30kg 90% enriched uranium) are already orbiting graveyard orbit 900-1000 kilometers high, at 65 degrees inclination.

These reactors were intended for short missions, and were shut down after burning about 1% of their fuel.
Potentially, uranium from all 15 reactors combined can supply up to 300 GWh energy (at 70% burnup).

Could you propose some scenarios how to re-use these reactor cores?
 
Somebody will want it. I understand the Chinese want to collaborate with the ESA on orbital/extraorbital missions. Perhaps they would pay a hefty sum for a half dozen working orbital atomic reactors. With the profits and publicity you MIGHT get spacefaring countries that have created a lot of orbiting junk (I'm looking at you, Russia and the U.S.) to pay for a major cleanup of Earth orbit at a very reasonable rate. And then, I can think of several very good uses for all that collected orbital junk.
 
I can't think of any, but launching HEU is a big risk because if the rocket blows up it sprays lethal debris all over the place, so having a heap of HEU already up there seems like it would be handy if it can be re-used.
 

trurle

Banned
Somebody will want it. I understand the Chinese want to collaborate with the ESA on orbital/extraorbital missions. Perhaps they would pay a hefty sum for a half dozen working orbital atomic reactors. With the profits and publicity could get spacefaring countries that have created a lot of orbiting junk (I'm looking at you, Russia and the U.S.) to pay for a major cleanup of Earth orbit at a very reasonable rate. And then, I can think of several very good uses for all that collected orbital junk.
Well, these reactors would need major repair and refit before reuse. Refilling the NaK coolant and welding shut the coolant tubes damaged by micro-meteoroids is the absolute minimum. Also, replacing/updating the electronic package and upgrading electric plant from (severely degraded) TEG to Stirling is highly advisable.
 
Well, these reactors would need major repair and refit before reuse. Refilling the NaK coolant and welding shut the coolant tubes damaged by micro-meteoroids is the absolute minimum.

Yeah but if you want reliable power for redundant comsats networked to a base on the far side of the moon and solar is not available 24-7, you've probably got enough logistical problems to worry about, so you might be willing to shell out a tidy sum for otherwise unavailable atomic power. You might also want to power industrial manufacturing equipment In lunar orbit if you want to do the mass-driver-for-lunar-ore thing.
 
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