Here’s how Russia’s nuclear-powered ‘Skyfall’ missile works : NPR

Key Points:

• In October 2022, Russia tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile called Burevestnik (NATO codename Skyfall), which flew in loops over the Arctic, marking potentially the first flight of a nuclear-powered aircraft.
• MIT researchers analyzed the missile and concluded it likely uses a direct-cycle air-breathing nuclear propulsion system driving a turbojet, which heats air by passing it directly through the reactor core, resulting in radioactive exhaust.
• This propulsion method poses significant environmental and safety risks, including the release of radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere and hazards to personnel handling the missile, as evidenced by a fatal 2019 Russian accident linked to Burevestnik testing.
• Despite its extended range, experts doubt the missile's military effectiveness, noting it can be intercepted like conventional cruise missiles and that its nuclear warhead limits practical use, making the weapon potentially "useless" and environmentally dangerous.
• The development may be driven by political factors or as a technological stepping stone toward other nuclear-powered systems, such as surveillance drones or space-based platforms, rather than practical battlefield utility.