cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1204623/mit-researchers-russia-s-nuclear-powered-skyfall-missile-is-dirty-and-dangerous
Sometime on Oct. 21 of last year, high above the Arctic Circle, a lone missile shot skyward from a Russian island.
The missile flew northeast and then banked and began flying in loops for hours over the barren, frozen landscape.
According to Russian and Western sources, the new weapon, known in Russian as Burevestnik and by NATO as Skyfall, was powered by a small nuclear reactor. Few other details were forthcoming.
If they could get a closed system where the intake air doesn’t become contaminated, this could work well with things like recon drones where they would be able to stay up in the air indefinitely.