Why the U.S. Abandoned Nuclear-Powered Missiles More Than 50 Years Ago

[DGUtley]

Why the U.S. Abandoned Nuclear-Powered Missiles More Than 50 Years Ago. Last week’s explosion of the Russian missile produced this article.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...ssile-skyfall/

The United States tried to develop a nuclear-powered cruise missile in the 1950s and 1960s but abandoned the project as impractical. The weapon was known as Supersonic Low Altitude Missile or SLAM, and it would have been the most dangerous nuclear weapon ever made.

SLAM, also known unofficially known as "The Big Stick," was designed as a low-flying cruise missile. A rocket booster would launch SLAM into the air and boost it to speeds where its nuclear-powered ramjet engine would kick in. Once activated, the engine would give SLAM a top speed of Mach 3.5. The YouTube channel Curious Droid has a great mini-history on this doomsday weapon:




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[Peter1469]

The Russia missile that blew up was probably the new weapon Putin was bragging about that was a cruise missile that could hit anywhere on earth.

[DGUtley]

Yes, nuclear powered.

[FindersKeepers]

Kansas has a number of abandoned missile silos, but I don't know what sort of missiles they once housed. One is on a friend's land and they used to swim in it when they were kids.