In 1978, the Soviet satellite Kosmos 954 met a dramatic fate, falling uncontrollably into Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrating nuclear materials on Canadian soil. This event occurred in an already tense period such as the Cold War, and the peculiarity of the satellite – its nuclear propulsion – made the situation worse.
Equipped with a nuclear reactor on board and loaded with 50 kg of enriched uranium, Kosmos 954 was part of a maritime ocean surveillance program called RORSAT, intended for monitoring naval movements during the East-West conflict. The problem emerged at the end of 1977 when the orbit of Kosmos 954 began to alter, showing unpredictable trajectories.
This orbital instability culminated on January 24, 1978, when the satellite re-entered the atmosphere and partially disintegrated over western Canada, scattering radioactive debris along a 960 km path. The event triggered Operation Morning Lighta joint Canadian-American mission, which aimed to recover the missing fragments and limit the environmental and health damage caused by nuclear contamination.
Despite the recovery operations, only 1% of the nuclear fuel was recovered, leaving a latent threat of long-term contamination to ecosystems and human health. The crisis led to critical reflection on the safety of nuclear satellites and the need for more reliable safety mechanisms, culminating in the introduction of an emergency core ejection system on subsequent RORSAT satellites.
This accident not only highlighted the risks associated with the use of nuclear energy in space but also stimulated a global debate on how to manage space emergencies, underlining the importance of international cooperation in this area. Today, however, Russia is building a nuclear weapon in space.
On Echo Dot (5th generation, 2022 model) It is one of today’s best sellers.
