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In 1980, NASA accidentally launched a manhole cover into space at 125,000 mph during an underground nuclear test, making it potentially the fastest human-made object ever created.
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Science Gone WrongApr 16, 2026

In 1980, NASA accidentally launched a manhole cover into space at 125,000 mph during an underground nuclear test, making it potentially the fastest human-made object ever created.

A manhole cover became Earth's fastest spacecraft by accident. NASA detonated a nuclear bomb underground in 1957. They put a steel cap over the hole. High-speed cameras caught it flying away at impossible speed. It was never found again. Space program started three years later.

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