[FPSPACE] nuclear-powered satellite fragmentation on orbit (allegedly) poses no risks, Russia says

[Peter Pesavento]

If this event did happen this past July, were there any reports at the time?
If not, why is it being revealed now by the Russians?

 

 

>From Yahoo News/Associated Press

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_nuclear_satellite

 

Russia says old nuclear satellite poses no threat

 

2 hrs 41 mins ago

 

MOSCOW - Russia's military says an old Soviet-built nuclear-powered
satellite has partly disintegrated but its fragments do not threaten the
international space station or people on Earth.

The military's Space Forces say the decommissioned Cosmos-1818 satellite
partially fragmented in July and that the debris posed no danger.

Space Forces chief of staff Gen. Alexander Yakushin said in Wednesday's
statement that the satellite's fragments remained on a high orbit far above
that of the international space station. Yakushin added that the fragments
do not pose any threat of radioactive contamination on Earth.

The Cosmos-1818 was launched into orbit in 1987 on a mission to track ships
using a powerful radar scanning the ocean surface.

 

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