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General Information > Science Check: Dead on the Moon, Breached Fission Reactor

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message 1: by Rikhard (last edited May 14, 2018 03:32PM) (new)

Rikhard Von Katzen (rikhardvkatzen) | 18 comments I'm working on a story where a translunar shuttle was hijacked and landed on the dark side of the moon, but was damaged in the landing. Everyone died after a time and the (fission) reactor was put out of commission. Assuming they've been dead for a couple of years I came to the following conclusions: For a while the bacteria inside the shuttle would work on them, mushing them up. Then the heat would go out and they'd freeze. They still wouldn't be dessicated because the air and moisture are still sealed in, but the bacteria would stop acting due to the cold and lack of proper air.

So, basically, they'd be a slurry over some bones. Sound right?

That fission plant had its core breached. How many rads would a broken fission plant put out? Assume it's got fuel still, it was fairly new before the crash landing, but the core was breached and now the uranium rods are just sitting in a humid room (used to be water in it, but the heat vaporizes it all without containment). Or would the cold of the dark side be enough to reduce it down to water/ice again, despite the rods? Or would the rods just slag themselves and burn a hole through the ship?


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