Re:Portable nuclear reactor program sparks controversy
by ajross on Tuesday June 29, 2021 @04:37PM
(#27681402)
Arrgh. This is misunderstanding the argument in the OTHER direction.
Cost/benefit analysis isn't about deciding what's "safer" in an absolute sense. It's about how much you get for how much risk you're willing to accept. The risk of one meltdown is real, but not impossible to tolerate in all circumstances.
Is it worth keep a bunch of these reactors around to deploying to urban Mogadishu or wherever to supply an invading military force with power? I argue not. The risk is high, and electricity is cheaply available already.
Is it worth launching one reactor into space if it enables an entirely new capability in solar system exploration? Maybe yes. It's just one launch, you can do it in remote areas. The people directly involved can be made aware of the risks (and are taking significant risks already). I don't have a full whitepaper to hand you on this but my intuition says that this might be OK, yeah.
Cost/benefit analysis isn't about deciding what's "safer" in an absolute sense. It's about how much you get for how much risk you're willing to accept. The risk of one meltdown is real, but not impossible to tolerate in all circumstances.
Is it worth keep a bunch of these reactors around to deploying to urban Mogadishu or wherever to supply an invading military force with power? I argue not. The risk is high, and electricity is cheaply available already.
Is it worth launching one reactor into space if it enables an entirely new capability in solar system exploration? Maybe yes. It's just one launch, you can do it in remote areas. The people directly involved can be made aware of the risks (and are taking significant risks already). I don't have a full whitepaper to hand you on this but my intuition says that this might be OK, yeah.