Eric en.wikipedia.org/w... The engine also acted as a secondary weapon for the missile: direct neutron radiation from the virtually unshielded reactor would sicken, injure, or kill living things beneath the flight path; the stream of fallout left in its wake would poison enemy territory; and its strategically selected crash site would receive intense radioactive contamination. In addition, the sonic waves given off by its passage would damage ground installations.

☕ David Antoine I wasn't aware of that mad project ! That was maybe not a good idea, especially if that thing would have had a critical failure while still flying over US territory. Probably a big engineering feat at that time but that was a crazy thing !