Russian spy satellite tumbles to Earth: from the Guardian archive, 24 Jan 1983

By the time the satellite hit the sea it was believed to have disintegrated. The real hazard, however, lies further aheadCosmos 1402, the Russian spy satellite which has been out of control for more than a month, finally tumbled into the Indian Ocean last night, ending a day of anxiety for governments around the world.The main body of the maverick satellite, weighing some 3,000lb splashed into the sea about 900 nautical miles south-east of the British dependency of Diego Garcia at 22.21 GMT - one minute ahead of the final Pentagon prediction.By the time the satellite hit the sea it was believed to have disintegrated. The real hazard, however, lies further ahead. The satellite's nuclear core is still in orbit and is expected to decay and fall to earth during the first weeks of February.It is feared that the platform of uranium 235 may come down in lumps of radioactive debris covering a fairly wide area - as the nuclear reactor of Cosmos 954 did over northern Canada in 1979.Nations have been preparing for months in case the platform has not fully disintegrated by the time it reaches earth's atmosphere.The Russians are known to have changed the design of their satellites since the crash of 954 and have persistently claimed that 1402 presents no abnormal hazard.The satellite was visible over much of Britain last night as it fell towards earth.Mr Max White, who spent the day monitoring the satellite from the Royal Observatory at Herstmonceux, Sussex, said that Cosmos 1402 appeared...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Russia Satellites guardian.co.uk Oceans Editorial Space From the Guardian Source Type: news