Will NASA Ever Recover Apollo 13's Plutonium From the Ocean 263
An anonymous reader writes "'Houston, we've had a problem,' said astronaut Jack Swigert on April 13, 1970. But the problem wasn't as simple as three astronauts potentially trapped in the void of space, 200,000 miles from Earth. The catastrophic risk came from the SNAP-27 radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), a small nuclear reactor that was going to be placed on the moon to power experiments, carrying Plutonium 238 in Apollo 13's lunar module. As luck would have it, NASA had experience losing RTGs – a navigation satellite failed to reach orbit in 1964 and scattered small amounts of plutonium over the Indian Ocean. The SNAP-27 had been engineered to make it back to Earth intact in such an incident. The plutonium, like the astronauts, apparently survived reentry and came to rest with what remained of the lunar module in the Tonga Trench south of Fiji, approximately 6-9 kilometers underwater (its exact location is unknown). Extensive monitoring of the atmosphere in the area showed that no radiation escaped."
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
Not if the mermen militarise the plutonium and use it against the land people.
They're vicious SOBs down there.
Re:Why would they? (Score:4, Funny)
At the rate things are going, that might be cheaper and easier than procuring it from Russia.
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
According to the Merman religion they get 17 sturgeons in the afterlife if the die whilst killing the land people.
Re:No (Score:4, Funny)
Plus it can be reworked into the plot of any Back To The Future reloads where Marty gets stuck in the 70's
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
Don't you mean Sea Kittens?
Re:No (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No (Score:2, Funny)
In the hands of some Mormons then...
Re:Is it the right kind (isotope) of Pu? (Score:2, Funny)
So if Al-Qaeeda starts developing undersea technology
What the FUCK am I reading?
--
BMO
Re:No (Score:4, Funny)
Regardless of your complete misremembering of an article written by the highly esteemed author of an internet comic, something tells me that an RC plane motor is probably not sufficient to lift a lunar excursion module from 6km underwater.
What if you used a counterweight?
(its nuke-you-ler)
Re:You have got to be kidding me (Score:4, Funny)
Radon
Kills sea bugs... dead
Sea kittens, you senseless clod!
Re:No (Score:5, Funny)
I'd be more concerned about those Japanese tentacles. Much more.
Re:No (Score:4, Funny)
I'd bet on YES. That way I break even or win. Betting on NO allows only break even or lose.
Re:Why would they? (Score:2, Funny)
Someday, Uranium will be mine as well.
Bond plot? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No (Score:4, Funny)
According to the Merman religion
I believe they prefer to be referred to as The Church of Jesus Pike of Latter-day Skates.
they get 17 sturgeons in the afterlife if the die whilst killing the land people.
Also if they are killed by the Mafia. Either way, they sleep with the fishes.