mrmopar5287: When we build a space elevator we should LIFT reprocessed nuclear waste into space. Rockets are a dumb idea for that, though.

Taking it up in an elevator would just get it far away from us. Without any thrust at all, you'd have to take it WELL beyond orbit to actually get rid of it. Otherwise it would just reenter the atmosphere once you let go. Even then, you'd leave it in a helio-centric orbit which would just put it on intercept course with Earth a couple years later.

Unless you were joking, in which case, well done. I can't tell anymore.

But I think orbital mechanics are really interesting. Fun fact: It takes about twice the amount of energy to "drop" something into the sun than it does to exit the solar system. You have to reduce the orbital velocity, relative to the sun, to almost 0. Our orbital velocity is about 107,200 km/hr. So you'd need a change in velocity (delta-V) of about 100,000km/h to reach the sun. Escape velocity from the solar system is about 151,300km/h, so you'd only need a delta-V of about 45,000km/h.

steklo: maybe something that radioactive could emit signals hundreds of yards, a mile? Or maybe a few short yards?

It's less about the 'strength' of the emitter and more about what type of particle it emits. Gamma particles last much longer/travel further (relatively speaking) than alpha or beta particles. Alpha are the most destructive, but can be blocked by a sheet of paper or clothing. Gamma just blows through almost every material, but does less damage on the way through (again, relatively speaking). Beta is in the middle. So it's possible. But it's also subject to the inverse-square rule, so after a certain distance, it becomes indistinguishable from background radiation. Still, I have to think a couple of helicopters with some detectors should be able to locate it, or at least narrow down the area for a search team to go in.