In an atmosphere, yes, with the engine pointing forwards to slow you down, the head wind would blow nuclear dust all over you as you were braking.
In space, the exhaust just flies off into the distance no matter which direction you are facing.
A different but related problem: if you arrive at my space house for space dinner in your nuclear space car, it would be quite rude for you to shower me with nuclear space dust (from when you hit the nuclear space rocket brakes to stop at my house) moments before you arrive.
This isn’t an issue if you go into orbit around a planet, where the braking maneuver is at right angles to the direction to the planet surface.
> This isn’t an issue if you go into orbit around a planet, where the braking maneuver is at right angles to the direction to the planet surface.
Unsure. Sounds like your exhaust could enter the planet's orbit. It seems prudent to have a secondary engine for use near planets, to avoid filling their upper atmosphere with radioactive garbage.
I imagine spaceships would need specially designated lanes and directions where they can accelerate and brake, so everybody knows which places to avoid if they don't want to get a blast of radioactive material in their face.
That's what the red and green buoys in the shipping lanes are for. It's a near universal agreed upon standard. It's just those guys from NGC7835 that refuse to accept as they are unable to see that particular shade of green, and are waiting for the intergalactic disabilities act to be ratified and used.
In space, the exhaust just flies off into the distance no matter which direction you are facing.
A different but related problem: if you arrive at my space house for space dinner in your nuclear space car, it would be quite rude for you to shower me with nuclear space dust (from when you hit the nuclear space rocket brakes to stop at my house) moments before you arrive.
This isn’t an issue if you go into orbit around a planet, where the braking maneuver is at right angles to the direction to the planet surface.