Russia: Old Nuclear Satellite Poses No Threat
Russia's military said Wednesday that an old Soviet-built nuclear-powered satellite has spewed fragments in orbit, but insisted they do not threaten the international space station or people on Earth.
The military's Space Forces said the decommissioned Cosmos-1818 satellite "partially fragmented" in July.
In 1978, the Soviet Cosmos-954 nuclear-powered satellite scattered radioactive debris over a lightly populated area of Northern Canada on its fiery re-entry, but caused no injuries.
The Cosmos-1818 was launched into orbit in 1987 on a mission to track ships using a powerful radar scanning the ocean surface. It functioned for several months after the launch before going out of service.
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The military's Space Forces said the decommissioned Cosmos-1818 satellite "partially fragmented" in July.
In 1978, the Soviet Cosmos-954 nuclear-powered satellite scattered radioactive debris over a lightly populated area of Northern Canada on its fiery re-entry, but caused no injuries.
The Cosmos-1818 was launched into orbit in 1987 on a mission to track ships using a powerful radar scanning the ocean surface. It functioned for several months after the launch before going out of service.