“Um didn’t they drop concrete onto the exposed stuff at Chernobyl with helicopters? Is that the option now?”
I don’t know a thing about these reactors, but that sure does seem like it’s worth something.
even cracked, I think there is a sizable containment structure over the fuel that would make it hard to drop concrete. Plus, the radiation to the pilots would be pretty high. Maybe, really long cables?
If the control rods are in place, I don’t think there will be a melt down. If it is, then hopefully containment will contain most of the radiation. Chernobyl melted down and ended as the “elephant foot” formation inside the plant, iirc. It is still lethal radioactively and is hot thermally.
Again, IIRC, but the waste pool should have the fuel cells far enough apart, that if exposed they shouldn’t resume criticality. However, the radiation near the drained pool will be lethal.