Why the nuclear aircraft project was curtailed, and how the attempt to extract oil with the help of nuclear explosions ended



Nuclear energy has certainly brought about a technological revolution. But why is the peaceful atom not used everywhere? But for what reason the project of a nuclear aircraft and an atomobile was curtailed, and how did the attempt to extract oil using nuclear explosions end up?





Icebreakers

In 1959, Lenin became a superstar of world news - the world's first nuclear icebreaker went for tests at sea. The ship with a nuclear power plant on board still looks impressive, and in 1959 people were shocked: the helipad, the cinema, the music salon, is a real floating city. The atomic icebreaker was designed to serve the Northern Sea Route and expeditionary navigation in the Arctic. He consumed about forty-five grams of radioactive fuel per day.





Soviet atomic icebreaker "Lenin"
Soviet atomic icebreaker "Lenin"

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Russian nuclear icebreaker "50 years of Victory"
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Nucleon - the first car project
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Thorium-powered Cadillac project

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Soviet atomic plane Tu-95 LAL
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Atomic strategic bomber B-36
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In Canada, they were going to extract oil using nuclear explosions

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An old dream of science fiction writers and scientists is to create an efficient thermonuclear reactor. Fuel for it (deuterium or hydrogen) can be obtained from seawater. The nuclei of these elements release a huge amount of heat when they merge. The reaction itself is absolutely safe, but so far it has not been possible to create an installation that produces more energy than it consumes.





Experimental reactors are being built in the USA, Great Britain, China and France. It is quite possible that in the 21st century, instead of a nuclear race, a thermonuclear one will begin.








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