Chernobyl was not the fault of rushing things. Chernobyl was the result of only having a single line of control with no separate regulatory system.
The plant (and those like it) had a flaw that when you slam on the brakes you momentarily turn *up* the fire in doing so. Normally this is harmless, but with Chernobyl the idiot in charge was so determined to proceed with his stupid safety demonstration that he didn't hit the SCRAM until the last second--and the momentary increase as the rods came in caused a major power excursion. Whether it went prompt critical or just came within a hair of it we probably will never know.
If someone were to try something like that in the US the phones at the NRC would have been ringing off the hook long before the reactor got in trouble.
The plant (and those like it) had a flaw that when you slam on the brakes you momentarily turn *up* the fire in doing so. Normally this is harmless, but with Chernobyl the idiot in charge was so determined to proceed with his stupid safety demonstration that he didn't hit the SCRAM until the last second--and the momentary increase as the rods came in caused a major power excursion. Whether it went prompt critical or just came within a hair of it we probably will never know.
If someone were to try something like that in the US the phones at the NRC would have been ringing off the hook long before the reactor got in trouble.