Researchers have uncovered how Russia's nuclear-powered missile works

> "The direct cycle is very likely to result in a large quantity of radioactive material in the exhaust," Hecla said. Air itself is irradiated as it passes through the engine, and fission decay products from the nuclear fuel also diffuse into the straw-like cavities and are shot out the back

> "This thing is an environmental nightmare," Lewis said. In addition, the reactor poses a huge risk to members of the military who might be required to handle it.

> In 2019, an accident off the Russian coast killed several Russian nuclear personnel. Shortly thereafter, a spike in radioactivity was detected nearby. It's now widely believed the accident was the result of a Russian team attempting to recover a prototype Burevestnik reactor. Hecla said it's possible that the reactor restarted as it was being hauled from the bottom of the sea, sparking an explosion.

Analysis: https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.mit.edu/dist/6/1499/file...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear-powered_aircraft