A2 - Sunday, Apri} 10, 1983 - North Shore News Yet the incident can't be ignored. It is bound to occur again. And there are some troubling questions that have not been answered. Researcher and long-time anti-nuclear activist David Garrick contends that Canadian and American officials underplayed the actual risk posed by the satellite, partly because the Americans don’t wish to spark a controversy that might eventually draw at- tention to their own nuke-in- the-sky program. The opening rounds of Star Wars are already being played out over our heads, with the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. jockeying to be the first to get a space battle station into. position, presumably armed with laser weapons and powered by a nuclear reactor. The Soviets maintain two or three Cosmos-type spy satellites in orbit all the time. Using a fast flux reactor and 90 per cent’ enriched uranium-235 means that the Kremlin must replace each satellite after only four to six months operation because < ved Pimhs We 4140 VISA seoesepneseepeeeeeaeses SUN WE 12 Oy rm ,. Strictly personal by Bob Hunter Sky-spy risk for B.C. WHEN THE SOVIET spy satellite Cosmos 1402 burned up and crashed in the Indian Ocean in January, there was a collective sigh of relief and most people promptly forgot the issue. neutron bombardment changes stainless steel in the reactor into brittle highly- radioactive stuff. The entire half-ton nuclear reactor must then be separated from the 4'%-ton satellite itself and boosted into a higher orbit. The Russians are probably putting between four and nine of these into orbit every year, each one containing about 100 pounds of weapons-grade’ enriched uranium, which can un- doubtably be “mined” in the future. It is safe to assume that the Soviets have been sending nuclear satellites into orbit for over five years, although they apparently stopped for a while after the original crash of Cosmos-954 in 1978. There are at least 12 and possibly as many as 27 Soviet nuclear hulks parked in orbit. The United States also has nuclear reactors in satellites, using plutonium instead of ennched uranium as fuel. Although smaller and fewer than Russian nukes in space, the U.S. satellites have OW How ing In Your Livinc Room... ) om “PICK OF THE FLICKS”’ * SPRING BREAK SPECIAL « FOR NEW MEMBERS FREE OVERNIGHT VIDEO MACHINE RENTAL } WITH 2 MOVIES OF YOUR CHOICE WITH THE PURCHASE OF A LIFE TIME MEMBERSHIP " vi . iL HOME VIDEO LIBRARY (A $2 295 Value) Otter vaitd Sundays thru Thursdays VANCOUVER § SOPHISTICATED VIDEO RENTAL LIBRARY HoME VIDEO LIBRAR O97 LOGEMONT BVO NORTH VANCOUVER Preset a 2 Vee SAL IO a of caused problems too. Bntish Columbians had good reason to look over their shoulders during the final hours of the crash of the two Russian reactors that have fallen so far. Let's not forget that before smashing into the Northwest Territories, Cosmos 954 came down in an arc from Hawaii, spewing radio- activity. It probably passed no nore than 50 miles over the Queen Charlottes, Prince Rupert and Fort Nelson. In January, even though Cosmos 1402 vanished into the Indian Ocean, its orbit, as it decayed, took it repeatedly over British Columbia. Using rudimentary trigonometry, researcher Garrick was able to calculate that the amount of tume Cosmos 1402 spent over Canada every day was 49 minutes, making Canada the second most hkely country for a re-entry strike, after Classified 986-6222 2700 16th STREET WEST VANCOUVER — Goa Russia. What is particularly disturbing is evidence that indicates both Soviet satellites were travelling along an orbit that has become a regular patrol “corndors,” liable to be hit any time a satellite goes wonky. lt also appears that the spy satellites with the assignment of probing Bangor travel on an elliptical orbit, rising 700 the earth, swooping as low as 100 miles when they pass the West Coast. This is a dif- ficult orbit that burns the satellites up faster than ever — thereby increasing the risk to those of us in their route for spy-in-the-sky miles above the other side of path. nukes, because of the ——————————————————eeeee Trident base at Bangor, . ; Washington. ESTATE ADMINISTRATION If this is the case. certain strips of land in B.C. are henceforth permanently at risk. They have become nuclear WILL PLANNING Roval Trust sirice 1899 , Phone 668-5000 spy satellite eg SAVINGS UP TO 0% OFF REG. 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