Representative of space defense applications. Multimegaton warheads, rather than 20-kiloton warheads, will be far more 2 - Nuclear radiation intensities (20 KT)Ī yield of 20 kilotons has been used here as an example to show theĭominance of nuclear radiation effects in space however, it may well be that At lowerĭosages the difference between the two cases becomes even larger.įig. Radii are of the order of 8 to 17 times as large as the sea-level radii. We see that in the range 500 to 5,000 roentgens the space Many times greater than is the case at sea level.įigure 2 shows the dosage-distance relationship for a 20-kilotonĮxplosion when the burst takes place at sea level and when the burst takes As a result the range of significant dosages will be Physical attenuation and the only degradation in intensity will arise from Third, in the absence of the atmosphere, nuclear radiation will suffer no There is no longer any air for the blast wave to heat and much higherįrequency radiation is emitted from the weapon itself. Second, thermal radiation, as usually defined, also disappears. e., in space-theĬomplexion of weapon effects changes drastically:įirst, in the absence of an atmosphere, blast disappears completely.
If a nuclear weapon is exploded in a vacuum-i. Department of Defense, published by the Atomic Energy Commission, June 1957.įig. Range 500 to 5,000 roentgens are required to produce death or quickġ The Effect of Nuclear Weapons, U. Thermal intensities of the order of 4 to 10 calories per square centimeter will Order of 4 to 10 pounds per square inch will destroy most structures. The solid portions of the three curves correspond to significant levels ofīlast, thermal, and nuclear radiation intensities. In figure 1 for a nominal fission weapon (20 kilotons) at sea level. Relative magnitudes of blast, thermal and nuclear radiation effects are shown Generally less important than the effects of blast and thermal radiation. Gamma rays) to such a degree that the effects of these radiations are When a nuclear weapon is detonated close to the Earth's surface theĭensity of the air is sufficient to attenuate nuclear radiation (neutrons and With the effects which occur within the Earth's atmosphere. Man as the most vulnerable component of a space-weapon system becomesĭramatically apparent when nuclear weapon effects in space are contrasted Problem to manned military space operations. In particular, the use of nuclear weapons may pose a serious
Traveler, we must also consider manmade perils which may exist during time In addition to the natural radiation dangers which will confront the space