How fast does an atom bomb explode?

How fast does an atom bomb explode?

The blast wind at sea level may exceed one thousand km/h, or ~300 m/s, approaching the speed of sound in air.

What is the name of the research program in the 1950s that started to develop nuclear fission reactors that could be flown in rockets?

The Army Nuclear Power Program (ANPP) focused on the deployment of very small reactors to remote locations. It got going in the late 1950s and early 1960s, well after the Navy and Air Force programs.

How fast could a fusion drive go?

The secret is an in-the-works direct fusion drive (DFD), which will kick in once the spacecraft reaches orbit and propel it at up to 44 kilometers per second.

What is the difference between an atom bomb and a thermonuclear bomb?

A thermonuclear bomb differs fundamentally from an atomic bomb in that it utilizes the energy released when two light atomic nuclei combine, or fuse, to form a heavier nucleus. An atomic bomb, by contrast, uses the energy released when a heavy atomic nucleus splits, or fissions, into two lighter nuclei.

Can a nuclear bomb go off in space?

Finally, regarding the long-term effects of a nuclear weapon detonating in space, that radioactive material falling into the atmosphere isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it dissipates and spreads around the entire planet.

Are nuclear pulse rockets the future of spacecraft propulsion?

Many spacecraft propulsion drives can achieve one of these or the other, but nuclear pulse rockets are the only proposed technology that could potentially meet the extreme power requirements to deliver both at once (see spacecraft propulsion for more speculative systems).

What happens when you get hit by a Nuclear Blast?

As the video above explains, approximately 35 percent of the energy of a nuclear blast is released in the form of thermal radiation. And seeing as thermal radiation travels at approximately the speed of light, the first thing that will hit you is a flash of blinding light and heat.

What determines the velocity of a nuclear fireball?

Since such fireballs typically achieve ten million degrees Celsius or more in less than a millisecond, they create very high velocities. However, a practical design must also limit the destructive radius of the fireball. The diameter of the nuclear fireball is proportional to the square root of the bomb’s explosive yield.

What is the difference between chemical rockets and electric ion rockets?

As a qualitative comparison, traditional chemical rockets —such as the Saturn V that took the Apollo program to the Moon—produce high thrust with low specific impulse, whereas electric ion engines produce a small amount of thrust very efficiently.