When a satellite launch fails, it is a disastrous situation for all the world. All those years of hard work are literally disappeared in a flash that the explosion of satellites in the sky. While this is bad in itself, it is even worse when said satellite is powered by a plutonium battery.
The Nimbus satellites began their life in 1964. They were designed to be an advanced family of machines that could relay an unprecedented amount of data to NASA on the atmosphere of the Earth.
NASA
Even more revolutionary is that most of these satellites were powered by nuclear batteries ... which was fine until one of them crashed shortly after being launched.
iStock
In 1968, Nimbus B-1 booster rocket failed shortly after takeoff. A faulty guidance system forced the rocket and the satellite and its crash nuclear power in the Pacific Ocean.
Wikipedia
Fortunately, it takes more than a physical disturbance to cause a nuclear chain reaction. Crews were indeed able to recover the satellite nuclear batteries (photo below) in their protective cases at the bottom of the ocean.
NASA
NASA has even was able to reuse the batteries in future satellite launches. This is the power of the US engineering!
iStock
(via Wired)
now that is cool. I am pleased that NASA thought before with these nuclear batteries. If they had not, it could have been a nightmare.
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