The government wants to nuke the moon – and we have questions

 

The moon’s surface to study the effects of an impact on the lunar crust. Still, we need more information before understanding how this could benefit us as Earthlings. For example, what will they do if aliens already live on the moon? And will nuking it make it easier to claim under international law?

 

What would happen if a nuclear bomb hit the Moon?

If you think it’s unlikely that humans will ever successfully pull off such a feat, you’re probably right. The likely outcome of a nuclear bomb striking our natural satellite is not good for anybody. The White House has said repeatedly that it does not support plans to explode nuclear weapons on or around other celestial bodies, so let’s just hope it stays that way. Here’s why we asked if they were going to do it anyway

 

How much would it cost?

According to NASA, a single Saturn V rocket from 1969 cost $185 million in 2017 dollars. When you figure in inflation, developing a nuclear weapon is less expensive than launching a rocket into space. But by how much? And what about development costs?

 

Would it destroy the Moon forever?

Some scientists say nuclear weapons could be used without altering our view of Earth’s natural satellite. We are not proposing that humans detonate a bomb on the Moon, said Louis Friedman, co-founder of The Planetary Society in Pasadena, Calif. He added that it would take 1 billion times more energy than a hydrogen bomb detonated on Earth to make a noticeable change on the Moon.

 

Would it be easier than expected?

When it comes to launching objects into space, there’s no substitute for mass. More mass translates into greater momentum, meaning your rocket will move faster at launch (and, therefore, harder to stop). So what you need is more mass. But where can you get that much additional matter? You could try sending a bunch of material up in orbit for decades, but there’s a better option: bring an asteroid down from space.

 

What are other possible uses for these bombs?

These bombs are classified, so it’s unclear exactly what other applications they could use. It’s likely that whatever purpose these weapons were conceived for, there may be others we can explore with them in a peaceful setting. If you know any better uses for these bombs, please let us know! Also, if you know who stole them from their military base, please let us know! We have some questions about that too.

 

Is there anything else worth noting about this plan?

The fact that there’s no plan is a little bit concerning. Shouldn't we have a game plan if we spend $850 billion dollars doing something? Sure, you can make it up as you go along but...why do that? The point of getting elected is to make plans, right? What will they say in campaign commercials: Vote for me because I don’t know what I’m doing!