I remember the hand-wringing about Cassini prior to its launch. The probe survived launch from Earth fine, but Saturn got the materials in the end (I also remember people stating that we polluted Saturn without the Saturnian’s consent).

I believe several RTGs have been recovered from failed launches intact and without leakage, so I agree it can be done.

Last time I checked on that one, the opposition to the idea was focused on the risks of nuclear fallout from a failed launch.

ICE: Approved. Off to Angola!

Immediately stripped of office for dereliction of duty to the American people. That’s the first step. Fines or jail after, scaled appropriately to the attempted damage they’re trying to cause.

Sure, at least. I remember reading “champing” in the phrase (in books that were at least decades old by then) as a yout and questioning whether that was a typo or a mistake because I was certain I’d heard it as “chomping” when someone spoke it. My english teacher stated more and more people used “chomping” and it wasn’t necessarily wrong. That was in the late 70’s. I am olde and get offa my lawn.

Champing was the standard (even if you’d never heard it) and now it isn’t. Chomping is an accepted version of the phrase now. Language in the act of changing.