0
It is possible to test a nuclear weapon in space, but it is banned.
Nuclear weapons have been exploded in space. In 1962 starfish prime test exploded a 1.4 megaton bomb (~100 times bigger than the Hiroshima bomb) was detonated 400 km over the central pacific. The electromagmetic pulse (called an EMP) damaged communications and electronics from Hawaii to New Zealand (a distance of 7000 km). If this was done today it would cause billions of dollars in damages by wiping out computer systems and satellites over an area of millions of square kilometers. The gamma energy of a nuclear weapon is normally turned into heat when exploded in the atmosphere but in space there is no atmosphere to heat up so all the gamma energy is turned into an EMP that fries electronics. Just one bomb exploded over the United states at 500 km would destroy all computers and electronics that were turned on at the time in the entire country. Military electronics are hardened against this.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Is there any possibility of designing a rocket using atomic energy?
Yes. Nuclear thermal rockets heat a gas to superhot temperatures and use it for thrust. Tested on the ground, but never launched. Nuclear ion engines make electricity from a nuclear reactor, then use it to accelerate ions for thrust. Tested on the ground. Ion engines powered by solar cells and nuclear reactors for electrical power have both been tested in space, although never together. Theoretically, it is possible to use nuclear weapons detonated behind a ship to push it, but no one has gone beyond theory with the concept because of the cost and political ramifications. As for fusion, several theories exist, but none have yet been demonstrated to work.
Can non-nuclear bombs explode in space?
The only nations to detonate nuclear weapons in outer space are the United States and the Soviet Union. During the heart of the Cold War, the United States and the former Soviet Union launched and detonated a combined total of over 20 thermo nuclear weapons in the upper atmosphere and near space region of earth in an effort to test the effects of launching an offense as well as countering an offense. Even during the Cuban Missile Crisis!
What caused the space race in 1957?
soo who was better. it was a compitition. also; whoever could control space by their self would be able to control the world with the use of weapons like nuclear warheads. boom!
Did congress establish NASA to develop new types of nuclear weapons?
nocongress established NACA in the early 1920s to promote and perform research on the airplane and in aviation in general.congress changed the name of NACA to NASA in 1958, when it added the civilian space program to their responsibilities.neither NACA nor NASA ever had direct involvement in any weapons development, nuclear or conventional.
Can you blow up a nuke in space?
It's possible, though it's (probably... see below) prohibited by both the Outer Space Treaty and the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963. All countries known to possess nuclear weapons capability, with the exception of North Korea, have ratified at least one of these (North Korea has signed, but not ratified, the Outer Space Treaty).Whether or not a non-weapon nuclear explosion (for example: using a nuclear device as a sort of improved dynamite for, say, mining purposes) would violate the Outer Space Treaty is an interesting legal question, since the treaty expressly refers to nuclear weapons and goes on to say that the use of any equipment or facility necessary for peaceful exploration shall not be prohibited. This could potentially eventually become important.
Have the Netherlands tested nuclear weapons?
No. The Netherlands have not tested or developed nuclear weapons.
How many nuclear weapons were tested at the Bikini Atoll?
There were 23 total nuclear weapons tested at Bikini Atoll between the years of 1946 and 1958. These nuclear weapons caused a great amount of radiation to be leaked into the surrounding areas.
Which two countries tested nuclear weapons in the 1950s?
USUSSRUKFrance
Where did the French test their nuclear weapons?
The French tested their nuclear weapons in the Sahara desert (before Algeria's independence) and on the Pacific atoll of Mururoa.
What two countries tested nuclear weapons in 1998?
India and Pakistan
Countries who acquired nuclear weapons?
Currently, nine states possess nuclear weapons.United States - Tested its first nuclear weapon in 1945Russia - Tested its first nuclear weapon in 1949United Kingdom - Tested its first weapon in 1952France - Tested its first weapon in 1960China - Tested its first weapon in 1964India - Tested its first weapon in 1974Pakistan - Tested its first weapon in 1998Israel - Acquired weapons sometime between 1967-1971North Korea - Tested its first weapon in 2009Four states have ended their nuclear programsSouth Africa - de-nuclearized in 1991Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan - Returned nuclear weapons to Russia in mid-1990s.Nuclear Aspirants, but no nuclear program or weaponsGermany, Canada, Libya, Japan, Argentina, Syria. Sweden, Egypt, South Korea, Switzerland, Iraq, TaiwanFuture nuclear states?IranSee, Peter Beckman et. al, Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear States, and Terrorism (2007), 41.
What country had nuclear weapons that they used on their own country?
The US tested nuclear weapons on its own territory including the deserts of the continental southwest US.
Which continents have not had nuclear weapons tested on them?
Antarctica and South America, I think that may be it.
What country has tested nuclear weapons in the South Pacific?
Both US & UK.
How are nuclear weapons tested in space?
The only nations to detonate nuclear weapons in outer space are the United States and the Soviet Union. During the heart of the Cold War, the United States and the former Soviet Union launched and detonated a combined total of over 20 thermo nuclear weapons in the upper atmosphere and near space region of earth in an effort to test the effects of launching an offense as well as countering an offense. Even during the Cuban Missile Crisis! Both governments do not give directions detailing how to detonate a nuclear bomb in space.
In 1945 what happened with nuclear weapons?
1945 was the first year that a Nuclear bomb was successfully tested then used in combat.
What middle east countries have nuclear weapons?
IsraelMaybe Iran, but if so it has not been tested
