If you need something to worry about, here it is.

futurescience.com

2 pointsone0101012 comments

So instead of smuggling a nuke into the country, now your would-be terrorist needs to deal with the logistics of detonating a nuke in outer space yet still close enough to the target to inflict the wanted damage. Beautiful in theory, but in practise?

The big problem for a would be aggressor is that we really don't know this phenomena. Everything in the open literature is from that one 1962 test, plus theory and simulations.

What if you try it and don't accomplish more than force a electrical grid "reboot"? Better hope we can't figure out from the isotope mix way way up there where it came from.

That's one of the big dangers from doing it in the atmosphere, you're leaving a "this bomb built here from that design and this source of fissionables". If you're smuggling it in, it's because you're not a big nation state. You won't enjoy the wrath of your target....

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