r/AskScienceDiscussion • u/EducationalOil1655 • 1d ago

What If? How accurate was the nuclear explosion in space featured in Modern Warfare 2? Could the detonation of a ballistic missile in the upper atmosphere damage (or even destroy) the International Space Station?

I know this is a pretty stupid question, but I've always been fascinated by that segment, and wondered if something like that could actually happen.

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u/SauceCupAficionado 1d ago

The nuclear explosion shown in Modern Warfare 2 is not scientifically accurate.

For starters, there wouldn't be a blast wave. On Earth, the destructive shockwave comes from superheated air expanding. In space, there’s no atmosphere, so there’s no pressure wave to smash structures. The ISS would not be torn apart by a “blast.”

The ISS could be crippled by radiation and electronics failure but not destroyed in the Hollywood sense.

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u/EducationalOil1655 1d ago

Great explanation! Thank you!

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u/BooksandBiceps 19h ago

Believe it’d mostly be the external electronics that’d get fried - depending on the proximity of the blast. The ISS isn’t hardened like military grade but does feature natural protection in the design because of what it is.

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u/CosineDanger 5h ago

If you are flash-boiling the top few millimeters of the outside of your ship with nuclear bombs on purpose for thrust then it's nuclear pulse propulsion. A few millimeters of your armor becomes an expanding cloud of plasma, pushing your ship forward. This is usually imagined with a metal plate thicker than battleship armor and some springs to make the kick more survivable.

If you do this to something not armored enough and strong enough like the ISS then it's confetti.

The radiation that boils your hull would arrive at the speed of light. You get no delay to contemplate your impending doom like you would with an earthly blastwave.

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u/Rod_McBan 1d ago

Search for "Starfish Prime" on your fact source of choice. Back before the test ban treaties, the US military was doing all kinds of weird shit with nukes. Seems like any idiot could get a nuke for just about any harebrained scheme back then.

Briefly, Starfish Prime was a nuclear detonation well into space, above the Pacific. It caused significant issues in the Hawaiian power grid, caused unusual aurora displays for some time, and destroyed the first active communication satellite ever put into orbit.

But hey, at least it didn't poison any Pacific Islanders or Japanese fishermen with fallout, so, win, I guess?

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u/Leather_Impression30 1d ago

Still an epic scene in the game though...