Nuclear Rockets

Back in the Good Old Days of above-ground nuclear testing, a series of solid propellant smokey-trailed rockets would be launched just before detonation. They would leave vertical trails in the sky near the detonation. The video below explains just what they were for, as well as some of the physics of the detonation itself… the radiation front and the shock front. It’s interesting.

3 responses to “Nuclear Rockets”

  1. Jeff Wright Avatar
    Jeff Wright

    I used to think it was induced lightning, but found the spacing too regular-captions cleared things up.

  2. Madoc Avatar
    Madoc

    Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Jeff Wright Avatar
    Jeff Wright

    Speaking of rockets-Boca may be overrun as Pedrostan. And I hear Elon floated an offer to Don Lemon-but if a difficult, self-important Prima Donna is what he wants…I’m free! No, seriously-call me…at least visit our huge stainless steel plant not far from Alabama’s Sugar sands.