Project Pluto: The Nuclear Powered Missile
Not many people know this, but the United States actually looked into the idea of deploying Nuclear Powered Cruise missiles back in the mid to late 1950s. Codenamed “Project Pluto”, the plan was to develop a Supersonic Low Altitude Missile (SLAM) which would be powered by heat from an unshielded nuclear reactor to power a ramjet engine. The belief was that not only would it give the missile massive range (110,000+ miles), but give it supersonic speeds. But this was only part of the plan…
The proposed SLAM would also have the ability to deploy smaller nuclear warheads while it was en-route to its main target. All the while traveling at an estimated speed of 2,300 mph, at an altitude as low as 150 meters. Making it impossible for anyone to detect and intercept. But where do I begin with its issues?
Problems with the Nuclear-Powered Missile
Well, the reactor was unshielded and the missile would be spraying radiation everywhere it flew over. The Nevada National Site even said that it would “Deafen, Flatten and Irradiate” anyone as it flew at Mach 3. So already it would be killing people ever before it reached its first target. Despite this, two versions of the “Nuclear” Ram Jet engine were built and tested. According to reports, these tests were rather successful but the program was ultimately shut down. Why…?
Well believe it or not, the Pentagon thought that the creation of such a missile would not only provoke an escalation with the Soviets. But they also thought that a low flying, supersonic cruise missile that could carry up to 40 nuclear warheads was a tad bit too much. In other words, they thought it was overkill. So the project was eventually cancelled.
~NC
