[Molly Schwartz]

Molly Schwartz  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
May be a stupid question but can we send our nuclear waste products up into space - like out of the solar system? 

I assume that a launch accident would be horrific but since we cannot find a good spot (at least in the US) for waste products - is it possible and safe and sensible?

Sincerely, Molly USA

What do you think?

[Madidus_Scientia]

I've heard it costs at least $2000 per kg to send anything into space. What's wrong with Yucca mountain?

[KingJami]

We will some day i am sure.

[Bored chemist]

We will some day i am sure.

Why?
Its obscenely expensive and very dangerous.

[Shadec]

Ok, nuclear power, if prepared and utilised in a safe manner is, in my opinion, one of the best power sources yet, and until fusion power gets up and running, it has my vote!
So basically, the thing about nuclear power is it gets the bad views from pop culture, and things like the simpsons dont help - three eyed fish and whatnot.
basically, its only dangerous if people are really foolish and dont pay attention, though the same can be said for coal-powered generators, in Australia a few years ago, something fell into the path of one of the rotors of one of the larger generators in the state, the force that it carried caused the entire system to explode, raining down pieces of iron for kilometres around. fortunately it was in an isolated area.

Things like Chernobyl happen when people are careless, not because of the nature of nuclear power, but this is irrelevant, its just my rant about people being scared of radiation and nuclear power.

The thing about the waste is that there generally isnt as much produced as people would think. In Australia, near me, theres this great research facility called ANSTO, they work with tiny amounts of uranium (dont actually produce power unfortunately) but theres this 'new' compound called Synroc, which can imobilise the radioactive waste and lock it away until it breaks down into harmless atoms, which would be the best (in my opinion) way to deal with it

some info on it can be found here: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf58.html