• Question: is it possible to set off a nuclear bomb off in space ?

    Asked by nawe to Derek, Elaine, Heather, Keith, Bimpe on 19 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Heather Eyre

      Heather Eyre answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      Zero gravity nuclear explosions.. Mmm.

      Well stars work on nuclear fusion, and the big bang was an explosion..

      It’s all about how you’d be setting it off, I’m sure a spark or flame wouldn’t work with out the oxygen! An electrical ignition would probably work, so yes you probably could, I don’t recommend it though, there’s enough radiation up in space without adding to it!

    • Photo: Keith Siew

      Keith Siew answered on 21 Jun 2013:

      Yes it is possible as nuclear bombs don’t need oxygen to detonate… the reaction is caused by ramming the trigger, usually plutonium into the fuel core made of uranium by using an explosion or implosion in and around these.

      The biggest difference in setting off these bombs in space would be the absence of the devastating shockwave coming off the bomb as gases rapidly expand outward and compress the air to create the shockwave. So I suppose that a nuclear bomb in space is actually (only a little) less dangerous/powerful… I think that’s why we’ve pretty much scrapped the idea of blowing a meteor/asteroid coming to Earth with an atomic bomb as it will only fragment it and create many more smaller problems for us to deal with… instead of vapourising it!

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