FYKOS Year 31 Series 2 Problem 4 — nuclear waste no more · FYKOS 31 #31.2.4
Physics · mechanics · modern-physics
Problem
Imagine we have a thing (e.g. a nuclear waste container) and we want to get rid of it. We transfer the object to a circular orbit around the Sun at the same distance as Earth, but far enough from Earth to ignore its gravitational influence. Which of these methods of the objects disposal would require the least amount of energy and thus would be the most efficient?
Throw it into the Sun. Getting it to the solar surface would be sufficient to burn the object.
Transfer it to a circular orbit in the Asteroid belt (located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter).
Get it out of the Solar System completely.